The Kingdoms of Ishgar
by wishingforatypewriter
Summary: For generations the monarchs and nobles of the different realms have fought over love, land and wealth, however, in the face of a new threat the world will have to unite or else face certain destruction. (Medieval-esque AU. Multiple parings!)
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

**The Kingdom of Celestial Lights**

Once upon a time, there was a glorious kingdom in the heart of modern day Fiore that was home to four lovely princesses. So pronounced were their virtues that their father, King Lucien, had banners hung from the great walls of the castle close to boast them.

To the far left was a royal blue pennon with angel wings to represent the majesty and heavenly wisdom of Sorano, the eldest and heir apparent.

The next was pink with the image of two intersecting wands for the unrivaled beauty, compassion, and magical prowess of Mirajane, Grand Duchess of Magnolia province and the southern isles.

Next, the banner of Princess Yukino was crafted from the purest white silk in all the land and embroidered with a blue rose for her innocence and grace.

And finally, the light green banner of Princess Lisanna, the youngest, held the symbol of a paw print to represent her love of nature and all living things.

One day, during her eighth year, Princess Yukino ventured into the enchanted forest outside of the castle close hoping to find the rare flower shown on her emblem.

The trees, which stood dozens of feet tall, blocked out the sun with their thick foliage, making the afternoon look like late evening. Still, despite her better judgement, the young royal went deeper into the woods than she'd ever gone even with her horses and chaperones.

After a certain point, the scenery began to change. The leaves turned from an earthy green to a pure, glowing white and strange but beautiful flowers blossomed in glorious fields.

"Who goes there?" a voice called to her, just as her eyes locked onto her coveted blue rose bush.

"I-I am princess Yukino of the Kingdom of Celestial Lights," trying to remember her manners despite her nervousness. Sorano would chide her for being timid. "Might I ask who addresses me?"

Just then, a blond boy who looked to be about her age stepped forward, scowling menacingly. He had piercing blue eyes with a scar above the right one. "You don't _look_ like a princess. Ya sure talk funny, though."

Yukino could do nothing but stare at him indignantly. No one had ever spoken to her that way. Although, looking down she realized that in her plain chemise shirt, tights, and riding boots she could have been anyone.

"Well," She met his eyes, reminding herself to be confident as her sisters always advised. "I suppose you'll just have to take my word for it."

He began walking closer to her, slowly and deliberately, watching her fidget and squirm. "If you were _actually_ a princess, your royal pops would've warned you to stay out of Weisslogia's forest."

"Lord Weisslogia?" Yukino questioned, her eyebrows knitting together in thought. She _had _heard that name before. She was certain. "I apologize, my lessons seem to escape me. Which province does he rule?"

At this the boy laughed, actually laughed at her. "He ain't a lord. Weisslogia's a dragon."

Then it was Yukino's turn to laugh. "You mean to tell me that you've seen a dragon and lived to tell the tale?"

"Of course!" A small winged cat flew down from the treetops. "Sting-kun's a dragon slayer, after all."

"I-it speaks!" she exclaimed. Lisanna always claimed she could talk to animals, but this was something entirely different. "Your cat-"

"He's an exceed," the boy, Sting, said with a hint of an amused smirk. "Jeez, don't you know anything?"

Yukino crossed her arms, growing quite annoyed with his teasing. "I know that you're a liar," she shot back. "Only the strongest knights can slay dragons, and you're barely old enough to be a page."

"Hey, take that back!" the cat exclaimed. "Sting-kun's no liar!"

"Relax, Lector," he said. "We don't have to prove ourselves to a fake princess who thinks some stupid knight can slay a dragon. She's probably never even heard of magic before."

Yukino's cheeks grew hot with frustration. "That's not true!" she shouted, for once casting aside her courtly speech. "I am a princess, and a wizard for that matter."

Sting narrowed his eyes at her. "Prove it."

"Fine!" She whipped out one of her zodiac keys. "Open: Gate of the Paired Fish. Pisces!" Two fish spirits, only the length of her forearm, appeared before them floating around in the air. "There!" the girl proclaimed proudly.

"Boring," Sting looked at them, thoroughly unimpressed. What kind of parlor tricks did people get to pass off as real skills in the city? "I guess you are a wizard, kind of. Now let me show you some _real_ magic_._"

"And what, exactly, would that be?" Yukino questioned with the meanest glare she could muster. She was quite miffed that he hadn't been more impressed.

"White Dragon's Roar!" He blasted a laser that felled a row of ten trees on the spot.

"Woah!" Yukino stared on in disbelief. She'd never seen magic like that before. Even her teacher, Lady Layla, couldn't do anything similar.

"Sting-kun," Lector whined. "Won't Weisslogia get mad if you keep destroying the trees like that for no reason?"

"Dammit, you're right!" He'd gotten so caught up playing with Yukino that he didn't realize. "Well, it was only ten this time. He won't miss 'em. I hope." He turned back to the girl, smiling this time. "Wanna play tag, Yukino?"

"Yeah," Lector agreed. "Stay and play with us!"

She smiled back shyly. "I do, but I have to return to the palace. I've been gone too long already, and I'm sure my ladies will start to worry."

"Nee, Sting-kun," Lector started. "Why do all your friends like to say that they're royalty? First Rogue, now this girl."

The young blond's eyes turned downcast at the mention of his fellow dragon slayer. Yukino noticed this right away.

"Rogue," she repeated the name. "Your friend. Did something happen to him?"

He hesitated for a moment, but then decided that she was harmless enough."We were sparring one day and then he got really sick. After that, his dragon took him away." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I don't know what happened to him."

Lector nodded. "We're really worried."

Yukino smiled at them gently. They were good guys after all. "My mother also gets sick a lot but she's always fine in the end. I'm sure your friend will be, too. Just have hope."

Sting only smirked. She was starting to sound a little bit like a princess. The storybook kind. Maybe she had been telling the truth.

"Would you mind if I took one of these?" She pointed at the rosebush.

"The blue ones?" Sting questioned.

She nodded eagerly. "It matches my emblem."

"Those are enchanted. They don't grow outside of this forest, and they'll die right away if you take them out of here."

"Better if I just leave them alone, then." Yukino looked down dejectedly. "At least I know they really exist. Well, I suppose I'll be going now."

"My god, you get depressed easy." Sting noted. Wasn't she the one just going on about hope, of all things? "Just wait a minute." He plucked one of the flowers from the bush and charmed it with the same white light that emanated from the trees.

The young dragon slayer then walked over to the princess and placed the blue rose in her hair. "There. I charmed it with holy light. Now it'll never die no matter how far you go. Well, actually, it'll die when I die but that's gonna be a really long time from now so…"

"Thank you!" She kissed his cheek. "Thank you so much! I'll never forget this."

Sting looked down, blushing faintly. "Yeah, well…you better get going. Your ladies_,_ remember?"

"Right!" She quickly started running back the way she came. "It was nice meeting you, Sting!" the girl called over her shoulder.

"Anytime. See ya around, _princess_," he teased.

"Come back soon!" Lector encouraged.

"This time tomorrow!" she promised.

But a decade would pass before the two crossed paths again.

* * *

"Princess! Princess Yukino!" Her handmaidens flocked to her side as soon as she returned to her rooms.

"Yes? What is it? What is wrong?" Yukino frowned, an ominous feeling rising within her. All their faces were creased with worry, their eyes tinted with sadness.

She hadn't been gone for _that _long, had she?

"The queen's condition has taken a turn for the worse," one answered.

"You must go to her immediately," another added. "Your sisters have already gathered."

"I understand." With that, she dashed to the queen's quarters. As she'd been told, Sorano, Mira, and Lisanna were already at her bedside.

Though bedridden, Queen Alina looked stunning in her crimson and silver gown. Her tiara sat proudly atop her long, silvery waves of hair. Only the beads of sweat that dotted her face, and the violent cough that never seemed to leave her served as clues of her true condition.

"Mother!" Yukino exclaimed. This couldn't be. She had thought she was getting better.

"My beauties," the woman breathed. Emotion clouded her deep amber eyes. "You four hold the light that will," she paused to cough. "L-lead this kingdom. Know that no matter what happens, I love you...more than anything. Now, I need to tell each of you something in private. Lisanna, darling, you're...first."

The three older sister then retreated into the drawing room so they would not be tempted to listen in.

"Mommy," the six year old whined, leaning over the queen. "You have to get better."

She cupped the child's cheek tenderly. "I am trying, my heart. But even if mommy doesn't get better, not even that will stop her from loving you and your sisters."

"Elfman, too?" the youngest princess questioned with wide eyes.

The queen gasped at this and tried to guard against a coughing fit. "E-Elfman is...special," she managed to choke out. It was the only tender way to describe her only son's deformities. "And I love him no less for it. You are always so k-kind to him. Never lose that kindness, Lisanna, no matter what happens."

"Yes mommy," the tiny royal replied. "But if you love Elfman, too, why do we have to hide him away all the time? Why didn't daddy hang up a banner for him?"

The queen forced herself to sit up, with much effort, and ran her slender fingers through Lisanna's hair. "Because, my heart, some people might not understand what your brother is, and they might...t-try to hurt him. That is why we must keep him hidden."

"But-"

"Please, no more questions, Lisanna." She could feel that she was running out of time. "Just...promise me that you will always love him."

The princess held out her little finger. "I pinky promise."

"Good. Now, send Yukino to me, my heart."

Minutes later, Yukino shuffled back inside feeling quite ashamed of her casual attire.

"What a pretty rose that is," the queen complimented. "Where did you get it?"

"The forest," the young celestial mage replied. "Mother, when will you be well again?"

"I don't know, sweetheart, but I must tell you this. You are far stronger and more talented than you think. That is why I am giving you this." The queen reached under the wide sleeve of her dress and pulled out a celestial gate key with what looked like a black snake coiled around it. "It is the thirteenth gate of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. He is now contracted to you."

Yukino stared at the key in confusion. "The thirteenth gate? But Lady Layla said it didn't really exist."

"Lady Layla knows a great deal about magic, but she doesn't know this." She placed the key in Yukino's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You mustn't tell anyone you have this—not even family. Only use it to protect yourself and the people you love, do you understand me?"

"Yes mother."

The queen squeezed Yukino's hand again. "Never lose sight of how wonderful and powerful you a-" she started coughing again, pressing her handkerchief to her face praying that her daughter wouldn't see any blood.

"Mother?"

"I'm...fine," she coughed out, eyes beginning to water. "S-send Mira."

When the second eldest entered, the queen's fit was only starting to die down. The ten year old frowned. "Mother, I think I know what's making you sick." She was sure of it.

"You are," Alina wheezed, "adorable, Mira, but the doctors don't even know."

"It's dark magic," the princess insisted. She tapped the center of her mother's chest. "Right there. Demons are doing this to you. I can feel it with my magic."

The queen's expression faltered. She couldn't have known that. She was only ten. "Mira-"

"Who cursed you, mother?" Mirajane's eyes welled with tears of frustration. "I can fight them, I swear! Please, just tell me who!"

"No one is cursing me, my darling. Though, many have tried and failed." She grasped her daughter's hand. "You have the strongest magic in our lineage, Mira. You are a prodigy. I know that you will do great things." The queen absently rubbed at her chest. "But be judicious with your magic. Do not use it to impose your will upon others."

"Of course I wouldn't."

"I know. Though mischievous, you have always been good. Like your father, the king, yours is a noble...heart. But try not to quarrel with Sorano so much. As you get older, she will need you more than her...pride will allow her to admit. Will you lend her your strength?"

Mirajane sighed. "But she's so bossy and annoying-"

"Mira." the queen chided.

"I will," she conceded."But only if she asks nicely."

"_Mira."_

"Alright, even if she _doesn't_ ask nicely."

The queen gave a genuine, radiant smile. "I love you so much, Mirajane."

"I love you, too." Her tears dropped heavily onto the duvet. She hugged her mother for a full minute before finding the strength to unlatch herself. "G-goodbye, mother." She wiped at her eyes, worried that the others would know she'd been crying. "I'll send Sorano in."

"When I first held you in my arms," Queen Alina began before her eldest could speak. "I knew that you would be a leader and not just a ruler. I knew you would be brilliant."

The twelve year old looked down glumly. "Mira is brilliant, mother. I was only born first."

"That is nonsense," the girl's mother decided. "You have what it takes to rule."

"And what is that?"

She managed to sit up fully, her back resting against the headboard. "The will to do what is necessary, even when it may hurt you. Mirajane is much like your father. But you, Sorano, are like me."

"What do you mean, mother?"

"Do you know who we are, Sorano? Why we are royals instead of peasants?"

"Because we have magic," the girl replied.

"Yes, my child. And what gives us the right to rule is also a mandate to protect. At any cost." She pulled a scroll out of her other sleeve. "If the kingdom is ever attacked during your reign and the people are in danger, this spell will allow you to make a contract with angels. You will be able to summon them to protect our people."

"Real angels?" Excitement danced in Sorano's eyes as she reached for the parchment. "Like my symbol?"

Alina held the scroll away from the eager princess. "Yes, but the cost of this magic is great." Her expression grew severe. "I hope you will never have to use it."

"What is the cost, mother?"

"It takes years," she began to cough again, "f-from your...life."

Sorano's eyes narrowed as the pieces clicked into place. The last war against King Erebus _had_ ended quite abruptly. "Mother?" she questioned. "Is that what is happening to you? Have you sold the years of your life for victory?" Had she traded away their time with her for a few acres of land?

"Sacrifices...must be made," she breathed. "Someday, when you are queen, you...will understand."

**The Land of the Dark **

Prince Gajeel sighed as he entered his palace's grand library. Lord McGarden, his and his brother's teacher, had assigned him a research project. Words could not express how much he hated this half of the year. When he was away in the mountains, learning magic from Metalicana, he never had to think about stuff like politics and etiquette.

"Gajeel!" a small voice piped up. "You're back!"

The prince had to look incredibly hard to find the tiny girl among the seemingly endless stacks. "Yeah, I'm back," he affirmed once he reached her. "And already your pops assigned me a stupid research project."

"My father just wants you to be well educated so you can rule us well someday," she defended, with a small smile. "What place are you gonna write about?"

"The Flame Kingdom," he decided.

"That's obscure," the eight year old noted. "Very few people ever go there."

"I did," he informed. "Metalicana took me there to spar against the dragon slayer his friend Igneel was training. I have to say, though, it wasn't really a fair fight. He's only Ryos' age."

"Igneel!" Levy repeated. "That's the dragon king, isn't it? Is it true that humans and dragons all live there together? And they get along?"

"Yeah. It was weird, but I kinda liked it." It was nothing like home.

"I wish I could go there someday!" the blue haired girl gushed. "I've read so much about it."

"Calm down, shrimp," he laughed. "I'll take you there when I'm king. Now, what are you reading about this time?"

She had an assortment of books open in a semicircle in front of her, and she had jotted down pages of notes on parchment.

"Books on astronomy and calendrics. I'm trying to find out when the next heart sacrifice to the great god will be."

Gajeel snorted indignantly at this. "That's just a bunch of stories, shrimp. We don't sacrifice our own people. The gods feed on the blood of our enemies, if anything. I don't even know if that part is true. Metalicana thinks it's just an excuse my pops uses to wage war against the celestial pansies."

"My father holds the same view, especially since…" Levy's voice faltered.

"Since what, shrimp? What happened?"

She looked up with him, fear beginning to show in her wide hazel eyes. "Since, according to the calendars, the next sacrifice is going to be..._me_." That was why she was checking. To see if somehow her father had miscalculated.

Gajeel patted the top of her head in what he meant as a comforting gesture. "Don't worry, shrimp. The heart sacrifice is just a legend. Nothing's gonna happen to you."

He sincerely hoped, for her sake, that he was right.

* * *

"Well," Queen Nyx prompted as she entered her younger son's sickroom. Her flowing raven hair was slightly mussed, revealing the haste she must have made to get there. "What is it? Will he live?"

The pink haired physician met her gaze unflinchingly. "Do not rush me, _human_." This was exactly why she hated their kind.

"How dare you speak to me that way?" her voice quivered with elegant fury. "I am a queen."

The older woman remained placidly unimpressed. "Be that as it may, your majesty, I am a healer. And your son's life is in my hands. Now let me work." She didn't go around telling royals how to run their bloody kingdoms, so the reason they thought they knew medicine better than her was a mystery.

"The child will live," Porlyusica announced after a few more minutes of deliberation. "But he cannot continue to wield dragon slayer magic. His body cannot sustain it."

"That's impossible. The blood of dragons runs through his veins."

The healer only shook her head dismissively. "Majesty, your kingdom's superstitions and folkways are of no consequence to me. I've said what I must. If the boy continues to practice such strong magic, he will die. Now I must take my leave." With that Porlyuscia disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Impossible!" King Erebus roared after the queen told him the healer's verdict later that afternoon. "Such frailty doesn't exist in my lineage. Since the founders of our clan we've all been powerful dragon slayers. It has to be your blood, Nyx. Too many scholars and poets on your side. At least Gajeel takes after me."

The queen grew vexed at this, digging her nails into the armrest of her throne, but she managed to reign in her tongue. "Even so, what will we do husband? Ryos has always been sickly. If what the healer said was true our son will die if he continues his training."

"It can't be helped," Erebus said after a pause. "We'll give him over to the shadow."

"That vile entity!" the queen was horrified.

"It is the only way he will grow stronger," her husband dismissed. "I will not have a weak son. I'll have him dead before that. JOSE!" he bellowed for his advisor.

The lanky man appeared before them. "Yes, your majesty."

"Have the mystics prepare a sacrifice of the prisoners captured during the last battle."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Jose said in a rather unapologetic tone. "There are no prisoners. We lost the last battle against Lucien's army."

"What? Our men outnumbered theirs by at least five hundred."

Jose sighed inwardly. The king would not like his response. "According to the men who returned, there were angels on the battlefield."

"What?" Nyx looked at the man incredulously.

"White, winged celestial beings, your majesty," he clarified with a bit more sarcasm than was appropriate. "Sometimes wielding weapons. A sacrifice will not be possible at this time."

"Just as well," Nyx released a sigh of relief. She didn't want that thing of darkness anywhere near her child.

But then the king questioned, "Jose, which of the smaller peasant villages paid the least in tribute this past year?"

"Well, that would be the Rosemary Village, my king. A place that poor never produces much."

"We will reap the sacrifice from there," Erebus decided. "Send a division of the army."

"Monstrous!" the queen protested. "Our own people?" How far would this man go for power?

He raised a hand to silence her. "It will be done."

**The Sea Kingdom **

Ten year old Minerva Orlando stood out on the docks, holding back tears. Her father refused to allow her back in the house until she'd mastered the advanced spell. It was negligence like hers, he always said, that put their family where it was now—paying tribute to a fish.

But it was hopeless. She was never going to get it.

"Minnie!" a voice sounded.

The young wizard just ignored it. It had to be the wind.

"_Minerva_," It said again, sounding much more impatient.

She looked around, startled. "Who's there? Where are you?"

"Juvia is down here! In the water!"

She looked over the edge of the dock, and sure enough Princess Juvia of the Great Sea was in front of her, swishing her tail side to side impatiently.

"You _swam_ all the way here? What are you even doing?"

"Juvia is bringing you to the ball." She prepared a sizable oxygen bubble that would let her friend breathe during the journey. "Come on, or we'll be late."

Minerva sighed. "I can't go. My father forbids it. He said I have to train."

"As princess," the blue haired child began, "My will outranks his. And besides, I promised my brother Neptune that I'd bring you. And you know Juvia never breaks her promises." She extended her hand to her friend.

Minerva sighed, flushing slightly at the mention of the prince's name. She knew there would be hell to pay for this later. But...she was already locked out, after all.

After kicking off her shoes, she plunged into the great sea and grasped her friend's hand as the young mermaid guided them under the water.

Even among the merfolk, few could swim as far and as fast as Juvia. They glided past the coral reefs and schools of fish in record time, into the underwater city, and did not stop until they reached the palace which was half submerged within the deep and half above land.

As they hastily dried themselves and dressed for the ball, Minerva couldn't help but feel that she could become part of their world—that special sphere of love and excitement that was the Lockser family's rule.

However, as always, her father was nursing wicked plans that would snatch away her tiny wedge of light.

**The Northern Empire**

_Here rests the bones of Silver the Conqueror_

The royal family, dressed in their finest attire, had taken a trip to the fallen emperor's grave.

"Why have we come here, mother?" the grand duchess fidgeted under the weight of her kokoshnik tiara. "It isn't one of the scheduled mourning days."

"We are here because I have a lesson for you three." Empress Ur smiled sadly at her children. "It has come to my knowledge that King Lucian, the man who killed your father, has lost his wife."

"What's that got to do with us?" Gray questioned. The youngest prince started fidgeting, uncomfortable with all the layers of clothing.

"Gray, pick up your cape!" Ultear admonished. No one thought this..._habit_ would be the result of him starting to train as an ice mage.

"Ah! When did I take it off?"

"Idiot," Lyon sighed.

"What is the lesson, mother?" Ultear questioned, putting the conversation back on track.

Ur sighed, turning her diamond encrusted wedding band around on her finger. "To rule justly and with kindness, as all of our actions come with a price. Just as Lucian Strauss took your father from us, his queen has been ripped from his side."

Lyon made a face, realizing something. "If that's true...what did you do to lose our father?"

"Lyon!" Ultear snapped, ever the disciplinarian older sister. "You cannot say that. Apologize!"

"It is alright, darling," her voice was far away. "In time each of you will bear the weight of empire. Before he married a celestial queen of the Aguria lineage, your father and I annexed that man's kingdom. It was the last monarchy of the north to fall under our rule."

"You waged war against them for no reason?" Ultear questioned. That seemed so unlike her mother. The empress today was an unabashed isolationist.

"None," she admitted, dark eyes glazing over as distant memories flashed before them. "But we were young, and ambitious-"

"And the two strongest ice wizards in the world," Lyon added. Even at nine years old he could tell that was part of it.

"There was also that," Ur admitted with a small chuckle.

"Was it worth it?" Gray questioned. Though he couldn't remember much about him, was nothing he wouldn't give to have their dad home.

"Of course not," she admitted. If she could take it all back to have him, she would. "But letting all of this go would mean your noble father died in vain."

Yes, she had traded home for hegemony. But now that their parents had laid the foundation, the grand duchess and princes would never have to make the same choice.

**Author's Notes: **Hey, everyone! This is gonna be a Medieval-esque AU. Lots of drama and war, all that good stuff lol. I just wanted to say, thank you for reading! Reviews are much appreciated.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

_Year: 2781_

**The Flame Kingdom **

"So, you're Gajeel's kid brother?" Thirteen year old Prince Natsu eyed the boy he'd just been sparring against with suspicion.

"That's what he said, flame brain," Sting inserted. He couldn't believe this idiot was the heir to such a cool place.

"Nobody asked you, droopy eyes!" Natsu shot back. "Besides, I just wanted to know 'cuz Gajeel said his brother's name was Ryos."

"Ryos?"the blond repeated.

"It's complicated." He scratched the back of his head. "But I prefer to be called Rogue by my friends." He couldn't get anyone at home to go along with it—not even Gajeel.

"Rogue it is, then," Natsu decided with a wide grin. "Hey, Sting! Why don't you ever invite us to your kingdom?"

"Fro wants to come, too!" Rogue's exceed added.

"Aye!"

"I don't really have a kingdom," Sting explained, "but you could come hang out in the enchanted forest with me, Lector and Weisslogia."

Lector nodded his agreement. "It's lonely sometimes, especially since Yukino never came back."

"Who's Yukino?" Natsu asked.

"Just this girl who came into the forest a few years back." One who had a very interesting interpretation of the words _this time tomorrow_. "Oh yeah, have either of you guys ever met a Princess Yukino?"

"Nope," the pink haired dragon slayer replied.

"Me neither," Rogue answered, before remembering something from one of Lord McGarden's lectures. "But I might have heard of her. The person I'm thinking about would be a year younger than us, and a celestial spirit wizard."

"A what?" Happy asked.

"They use magic that you summon with keys," the dark haired boy elaborated. "My father says it's a really weak type of wizardry though."

Sting sighed. That sounded about right. He hadn't thought royals were so easy to come by.

"Hey, Natsu!" a red haired girl about their age called out as she approached the dragon slayer trio. "Are you guys still using the training arena? Kagura and I were going to practice."

"Come and fight me, Erza!" the fire prince challenged.

"It would take at least two of you," she retorted, summoning two swords to her hands. "But you and your friends can try."

Kagura sighed, watching as Natsu and Sting took on Erza. She was in no mood for a magic battle, and from what she'd seen neither of them could sword fight on her level. She decided to take a seat at the edge of the arena and wait it out. In a matter of minutes, there was someone beside her.

"Your brother and sister sure are lively," the dark haired dragon slayer observed. "Are you the oldest?"

Kagura looked at him questioningly. "None of us are related," she said monotonously. Although Natsu insisted that they were his sisters after he found them nearly dying from heat stroke and dehydration. That had been a little over three years ago.

"Oh." Rogue began to study the girl. She seemed to be cold and guarded, as though the entire world had wronged her in some terrible way. "How did you all meet?"

The dark purple haired adolescent realized that he wouldn't leave her alone until she reciprocated his attempt at making conversation, and relented. "Erza and I grew up in the same village...until it was raided by an army. Almost everyone was taken, and probably killed."

"Who would do something like that?" Rogue couldn't believe his ears. An entire village, gone in the blink of an eye.

Kagura snorted indignantly. They might have been about the same age, but he knew nothing of the world they lived in. "An evil king wanted to resurrect a demon, and my village was chosen because we were poor and easy to step on. I don't know much more than that."

"I'm so sorry." And he truly was. Despite the constant bloodshed from the wars his father waged, the young dragon slayer had a deep reverence for human life. Probably because he'd almost lost his to illness when he was very young.

"I don't really care for your sympathy," she said honestly. "Not unless it can bring my parents back, or find my brother." If he even managed to get away. "You know, it's like...when these royals are moving their little chess pieces around on their war tables or whatever, they don't realize that it's real people's lives they're playing with. Natsu and Igneel are the only ones that are different."

Rogue looked down, ashamed. He certainly knew his parents could be guilty of that kind of thinking. "I understand. I'm s-" he stopped himself. "If there's anything I can do-"

"No, you don't, and there isn't. But you're better than most of the scummy nobles out there for actually wanting to help."

"Thank you...I think, Lady-"

"No lady," she insisted. "Just Kagura."

"Rogue," he introduced himself. For once it felt like Prince Ryos, and the darkness that followed him, were miles away.

Then she spared him a rare and radiant smile. "I'm glad I met you, Rogue." Maybe they would both become better people for it.

* * *

_Year: X287_

**The Sea Kingdom**

As a terrible storm raged throughout the maritime kingdom, a similar one was brewing inside the estate of Lord Jiemma Orlando.

"Father you don't have to do this!" Minerva tried to reason. She had seen him meet with the dark wizard, Zeref. Heard them plotting against the royal family. If he succeeded, the Locksers would be completely annihilated.

"Sympathy is weakness!" Jiemma barked. "With them out of the way, we shall rule."

"I will rule anyway!" She rushed to show him the jewel encrusted ring on her left hand's third finger. "Neptune and I are to be married!"

"Mine, the strongest bloodline," Jiemma growled, "tied to that of a rotting fish? The thought makes me sick to my stomach. No such union will occur!"

"But a marriage will give us legitimacy!" She argued. "If you kill them off, you will be nothing more than a usurper!"

"I will be a king!" he roared, anger radiating off him in waves. "And you! You will be saved from the sorrow of bearing sons with scales! Be grateful!"

Minerva sighed, biting the inside of her cheek. She had tried to explain to him time and time again the difference between mer-people and actual sea creatures. But nothing could ever make him see past his envy and prejudice. Nothing would stop him from trying to destroy the royal family with demons from the book of Zeref. Not even her.

So she lied. "Father, you're right. I...I suppose I just wanted to be queen so badly, I'd have done anything." The territory mage curtsied low for good measure. "Thank you for saving me."

And then the vile man actually smiled, unable to see her true intentions through the haze of his own hubris. "I am glad you've come to see reason. When the time is right, I will have you married to someone strong. Now rest some. We will begin the raid at sundown."

As soon as he was gone, Minerva ran out to the docks. Her shoes and dress were quickly soaked in the torrential downpour. Despite the ominous weather, she set the sail of her small boat and took off towards the kingdom's royal city.

A bit more than halfway through the journey the waves grew rougher and the winds harsher. The boat was capsized with the young lady still inside. As she struggled to swim away, the mast struck her in the head causing her to lose consciousness.

When she finally came to, Minerva was in a plush bed swaddled in heated blankets.

"What were you thinking going out in that storm?" Prince Neptune, gazed down at her with worried deep blue eyes. "You nearly drowned."

Silk pajamas brushed gently against her skin as she sat up. "What time is it? How long have I been asleep?" she demanded.

"You've been here about three hours. It's nearly sundown."

"What?" She was too late. "Listen, you have to get out of here!"

"What's gotten into you?" He pressed a hand to her forehead. "You look scared to death."

"My father's been plotting with the dark wizard. They'll be here soon." She forced herself out of bed. "Had I been able to tell you right away, maybe we could have fought, but now you have to run. Where's everyone?"

The pale blue haired young man combed his fingers through his hair. "Juvia's out swimming—knowing her, she won't be back for hours. Everyone else is here in the palace." He kissed her forehead. "And we're all fine. Don't worry."

She narrowed her eyes at him threateningly. "You think I've gone mad?"

"I think," the prince approached her from behind and started massaging her shoulders, "you're running a fever, and you hit your head." He pressed a kiss against the top of her shoulder. "And you need to rest more, love."

She shrugged out of his grasp. "There's no time to rest! We need to-"

Just then, the entire sea palace shook and a dragon's shriek pierced the air. The young couple rushed to the window just in time to see the entire west tower plummet into the deep. Behind the black dragon of the apocalypse, her father and Zeref led an army of monsters and men up to the castle gates.

"It's too late."

"It's not," he argued, taking her hand. "We'll fight. We can win-"

"There are no dragon slayers among us. Not that one would make a difference against bloody Acnologia!" A whole army of dragon slayers wouldn't!

She had wanted to save them all—Neptune, Adrian, Marinella, the king and queen—but at least Juvia would manage to escape the carnage.

**The Kingdom of Celestial Lights**

_Survey the heavens, and open them wide  
Great celestial body  
Make thyself known to me  
O Tetrabiblos  
I am the ruler of the stars  
Release thine aspect, O malevolent gate  
Eighty-eight stars of heaven  
Shine!  
__**URANO METRIA**_

Lucy and Yukino looked around the training field to survey the damage they'd done. Large craters littered the grassy area surrounding them.

"I-it actually worked?" the seventeen year old princess questioned. She could hardly believe it.

"It did! Finally!" Lucy laughed, embracing her best friend. "Our unison raid is flawless!"

"But princesses...Queen Alina could perform this spell alone," Virgo commented as she popped out from inside one of the craters. "The same goes for Lady Layla."

Lucy crossed her arms indignantly. "You can go back now." And with that the pink haired spirit disappeared. "She sure knows how to spoil a moment."

"But I'm afraid Virgo is right," Yukino sighed, looking down. "We do have a ways to go."

"And we'll get there," Lucy assured, smiling at the pale haired royal. "We just have to keep practicing."

Just then Lisanna, on her sandy brown stallion, hopped the stone fence to join them. "That spell was amazing, you two! I saw the lights all the way at the end of the riding trail!"

"So was that jump!" Lucy exclaimed. Lisanna's equestrian skills were heralded throughout the realm.

"It's only because Bisca is such a great teacher." The princess dismounted gracefully and strode over the the celestial spirit mages. "Yukino, my sweet elder sister," she kissed her cheek. "You look especially elegant today."

Yukino plucked a piece of hay out of the blue eyed girl's white hair. "And _you_, my darling younger sister, sound like you want something. How can I help?"

"Well," she started. "I was just hoping you would talk to Sorano for me. You're the only one she ever listens to."

"That isn't true," Yukino dismissed right away.

"Yes it is," Lucy inserted. "Just based off observation," she clarified, realizing that after the coronation saying such things could be considered treason.

Yukino sent her friend a look that let her know she was _not _helping. "Come on," she said to Lisanna. "I'll walk with you to the stables and we can talk about it on the way there. Would you like to come, Lucy?"

"I can't, actually," the blonde sighed. "Father is making me meet with _another_ suitor this afternoon and I need to get ready." All she really wanted to do was travel the world and study magic like her mother.

Lisanna made a disgusted face. "Good luck. You'll need it if he looks anything like that Duke Sawar Junelle!"

Yukino covered her mouth with both hands to restrain her laughter.

Lucy cringed at the thought of him. "Don't remind me!" she cried. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

"So," Yukino began as the sisters started their walk. "What's going on between you and Sorano?"

Lisanna fixed her eyes on the dewy grass she trampled underfoot. "For the last few days I've been trying to convince her to let Elfman come to father's memorial service tomorrow, but she keeps avoiding the subject."

Yukino nibbled her bottom lip. This was a difficult matter, indeed. "It _is_ a public service, Lisanna. Many of our subjects will be there to pay their last respects to father, and some people from other kingdoms as well."

"But what should that matter?" the blue eyed princess challenged. "Elfman's as much father's child as we are. Why must we always act like we're ashamed of him?"

"It shouldn't matter," Yukino agreed. _But it did. _"And obviously, we are not ashamed of our brother, but think of it from Sorano's perspective. Revealing the existence of another heir, and a male heir at that, two days before her coronation might lead to trouble for her."

"It should not have been hidden in the first place," Lisanna countered, as she led her horse into the stables and began brushing him down. "Everyone always says it's because people wouldn't accept him, but if we're being completely honest it's really us who don't!" She removed the saddle and bridle and spread a blanket over the stallion's back. "I mean, we're the royal family. What could anyone possibly say?"

Yukino absentmindedly plucked the blue rose from her hair and traced her finger over the petals. "That we're 'unfit to rule' and 'he was the gods' way of punishing our family for its transgressions.' Of course it isn't true, but that's what father always feared. Maybe Sorano feels the same way."

"But Sorano isn't like father," Lisanna argued as she reached into her satchel, and pulled out a carrot for her steed. "She fears nothing and takes advice from no one but herself."

"You and I both know that isn't true, Lisanna," the celestial spirit mage defended. "Well, not entirely true. What does Mira think about all of this?"

"I wish I knew," the youngest princess lamented with a slightly irritated edge to her voice. "She's in Magnolia again this week. Probably _reviewing her_ _assets_ with Sir Laxus."

"Time well wasted, if that's the case," Yukino giggled at the thought. The entire kingdom probably knew of their sister's tryst, sans their late father. "But I guess I'll just talk to Sorano and see if I can get her to compromise a bit."

"Thank you so much, Yuki!"

The silver haired young woman sighed. "Don't thank me yet."

Princess Sorano, queen in a matter of days, sat in her father's study in the palace's north tower pouring over the Book of Sovereign. She'd been there, lounging at the window seat and absorbing all the secrets of her kingdom, for the better part of two days.

Her most recent train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door almost too soft to be registered by human ears. "Come in, Yukino." Her younger sister was the only person in the world she could think of who managed to be more inoffensive than the help.

"Still reading that book?" she joined the longer haired princess at the window. "Discovered any mysteries of the universe yet?"

"Quite a few, actually," Sorano drawled, still scanning the pages. "Did you know that a dragon lives within walking distance from here?"

Once again, Yukino's fingers grazed her flower. "I may have heard something like that once."

"And you're here about Lisanna, aren't you?" the queen-to-be predicted.

"N-no," Yukino immediately denied. "Well, not entirely. I mean, she just feels very strongly about Elfman being able to say his goodbyes to father."

Sorano rolled her eyes. "I know. And I feel just as strongly about us not being usurped and sold off as concubines to barbarian princes. Let's just assume that takes priority."

"Wow." The younger girl blinked in surprise. "...That's a lot of anxiety. Are you okay?"

"Of course," she replied all too quickly. "It's just, people often see a change in rulers as a sign of weakness. We have to be prepared for an attack. I can feel a storm coming, and we need to be prepared."

"Well, thank goodness we have you." Yukino placed her hand on top of her sister's. "You're one of the strongest people I know. And one of the wisest…such a great negotiator wouldn't find it difficult at all to, say, accommodate her youngest sister on something very important to her."

Sorano narrowed her eyes. "Are you...trying to manipulate me, Yukino?" she laughed. "Because, honestly, I think you can do much better."

"I'm trying to suggest that maybe the way our parents did things _isn't_ the only way to rule a kingdom." she insisted.

"Right," the elder sister said sarcastically. "Instead I should start sacrificing villages like the barbarians next door."

"I'm serious," Yukino gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You have always done things your own way. Why would someone as brilliant as you want to just repeat the actions of others...actions that may have been mistakes in the first place. Now, what can we do prevent our sister from becoming completely disillusioned with our family?"

Sorano waved off the thought. First her mother, now Yukino. She had no idea where this brilliance they went on about actually was, but she could definitely benefit from some of it now.

"She's far too dramatic for her own good. It's not like father did Elfman any favors, but," she sighed, "for you, I will see if we can use a lacrima crystal to stream the service to his cell."

"That's a great idea!"

"I know," the twenty-two year old smirked. The young monarch only hoped her plans for protecting the kingdom were met with the same enthusiasm. She sealed the Book of Sovereign and stood. "Now, I'm going into the forest to...to meditate. I'll be back before tomorrow."

"You've never been one for self-reflection," Yukino pointed out.

"I've never had a kingdom to run," Sorano countered. "I'll see you tomorrow. And your flower is lovely, but wear a crown to the service."

Now, she had a dragon to meet.

**The Land of the Dark **

"Family. The time for conquest has come!" King Erebus slammed his fist emphatically onto the map on the war room table. "Lucien and his witch queen are dead. A child sits upon the white throne."

Nyx, the queen, smirked behind her chalice of wine spiked with dragon's blood. "Princess Sorano is hardly a child. She is in age with Gajeel, nearly twenty-two summers."

"Then it is he who shall put her head on a spike," he declared.

"Geehee." The long haired prince liked the direction in which this conversation was headed.

"Ryos will do the same to the next eldest sister, and the younger two shall be blood offerings to the gods." After generations of battling, the Kingdom of Celestial Lights would finally be eclipsed by the darkness.

"What are the battle plans, pops?" Gajeel questioned.

The king pointed to a spot on the map of the continent of Ishgar. "In one week's time you will take the eastern pass and ride against House Dreyar in Magnolia. They are the child queen's strongest vassals."

"Understood."

The king then turned his focus to his younger son. "Ryos, at the same time, you will take the southern route and capture House Lore in Crocus. You are to act without mercy. Do I make myself clear?" Erebus had no love for his child's humanitarian streak.

"Yes, father."

"My husband," the queen entreated, "Are such plans not a bit premature? What if we are mistaken and this new ruler is indeed formidable? Already she has brought her kingdom under the protection of holy dragon Weisslogia." Their informant had been especially quick in delivering this particular secret.

"That peace loving relic?" the king snorted. "The magic in his blood's not even fit for fermentation. Sons, prepare yourselves for battle. I can promise you each two hundred men. That will be all."

The princes took this as their cue to leave.

"Rogue," Frosch began, the minute her human companion was out the door. "Is Weisslogia an enemy? That's Sting's dragon, right?"

"Frosch," he lifted the small exceed. "You shouldn't be listening in on war meetings."

"Fro knows," she looked down ashamedly. "But she got bored waiting. Fro wishes she had someone to play with."

"You can play with Pantherlily."

The jumpsuit clad exceed shook her head. "Lily's always busy. He doesn't have time for Fro."

The shadow dragon slayer watched as his elder brother strode purposefully down one of their palace's many corridors. Gajeel, unlike Rogue himself, never seemed to grow tired of their family's endless warmongering. "I know the feeling, Frosch." While he knew it was a petty thing to hold onto, all those years ago when he'd been ill, his brother never once came to his bedside. Even the teacher's daughter, who Gajeel had always been so fond of, visited him a few times.

"Fro wants to see Lector…and Sting," she tacked on as an after thought.

The prince sighed. "We will, soon enough." Only this time, he feared it would be on a battlefield.

"Oi, shrimp," Prince Gajeel called upon crossing the threshold of the castle's grand library.

The blue haired young woman looked up briefly from the new collection of atlases she'd been organizing.

"Need something, Gajeel?" When they were alone, the two never bothered with the pretentious courtly speech. The prince and the royal tutor's daughter had grown comfortable with one another over the years.

"What have you got on Magnolia?" He strode over to her reading desk. "It's a province in the pansy kingdom."

"I believe my father extensively covered the Kingdom of Celestial Lights in his geography lessons," she teased while pulling a large book out of one of her drawers. "But, luckily for you, my crash course is almost as good."

She donned her gale force reading glasses and breezed through the thick volume in a little over a minute. "Sorry I took so long, I wanted to study it carefully for you."

Gajeel was silent. Even aided by magic technology, most world renowned scholars couldn't process information as fast as she did. "Take your time shrimp."

She smiled. As much as he feigned boredom towards everything but fighting, she knew the prince was deeply intrigued by her studies."Geographically speaking, Magnolia province is easiest to penetrate by water. Its man-made canals would allow you to to sail directly into the castle close of House Dreyar, which I'm assuming is your target."

It was a good idea, but…"I don't do boats, you know that."

"I anticipated that," she admitted. "But the only other way in is a direct route. You'll have to fight your way through from the beginning."

"Geehee." He smirked. "Sounds like my type of fight."

Levy grinned, shaking her head at him. "There are some things to be cautious about, though. Sir Laxus Dreyar, Lord Makarov's grandson, has very powerful lightning based magic. If you face him directly, you will be at a huge disadvantage."

He peered over her shoulder at the book. "How?"

"Your iron magic basically makes you a human lightning rod, so it would be best to stick with sword fighting and breath attacks if you can help it." She pushed her hair back thoughtfully. "And, of course, there will be a backlash from the kingdom if you succeed."

"If, shrimp?" he raised an incredulous bolted eyebrow at her.

"_When_," she amended, rolling her eyes. "When you have conquered Magnolia province and brought House Dreyar to its knees, where it belongs, there will be consequences."

Gajeel scoffed at this. He leaned on Levy casually, using the lady's head as an arm rest in a manner meant to irritate her.

"What can they do? Throw their keys at us?"

Levy sighed. "While the Aguria queens have been known for possessing the zodiac, King Lucian was from House Strauss in what's now known as the Northern Empire."

"And?" Gajeel was beginning to regret not paying attention to the old man's lectures about magic and bloodlines.

"House Strauss chiefly produces take-over mages, and princess Mirajane—who's sovereign of Magnolia—is the strongest of their line. It's said that she can turn into a _demon_," she emphasized. "And, if the rumors are to be taken seriously, she and Sir Laxus have...a special bond." Levy blushed, remembering some of the things she'd overheard. "If you kill him, she'll have a personal vendetta against you. So, it might be best to just incapacitate him."

Gajeel merely shrugged off her warning. "Those pansies don't fight. They just hide behind their armies."

Levy tired her best to hold back a laugh. There was a measure of truth to his words. "Historically, yes, but there is a new queen on the throne." No one knew yet what this Sorano and her sisters were capable of. "Be cautious." The young scholar stood, rising to her tiptoes to kiss the prince on the cheek. "May you have a thousand victories, my lord of night."

He smirked at her. "And you a thousand books, shrimp."

"And would you stop calling me that!" she finally complained. She wasn't even that tiny anymore.

"Not really." He patted her on the head. "But, thank you, Levy." Her advice about Laxus might just end up saving his life.

**Author's Notes: **In case anyone missed it, there was a time skip between the prologue and this chapter, and another one between the Flame Kingdom section and all the others in this chapter. I don't think there will be any more in increments of years. Also, as something to look forward to, Gray and Juvia will meet in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Reviews are **greatly** appreciated! Also, please message me if anything happening in the plot is unclear. (I'm a really scatterbrained individual so that may happen from time to time. Please be patient with me).


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

**The Northern Empire**

Gray knelt beside the strange young woman who lay unconscious by the shore of the icy eastern sea, trying to wake her. "Hey! Miss! You alright?" the nineteen year old prince called.

Her skin was ashen and cold to the touch. Then again, he supposed the fact that only a seashell bra covered her had something to do with that. A navy blue tail with shining, almost iridescent scales comprised her bottom half.

He wondered briefly if she had drowned. Was that even possible for a mermaid? But, slight and unsteady as it was, the rise and fall of her chest ruled out that option.

"Hey! C'mon! Wake up!" The dark haired ice mage had no idea how he always seemed to end up in such situations.

After a few more minutes of this, the girl's eyes opened with some difficulty. Frost already started to accumulate on her thick eyelashes. "J...Juvia is alive?" she rasped, wincing at the sound of her own voice.

"I'm guessing that's you," Gray observed.

She only nodded weakly, eyes welling with tears. Everything was gone. Her home. Her family. She was the only one left.

"Well, not for long if we don't get you out of the cold." He sighed. "I'll bring you back to my place so you can get yourself together." He looked down at her tail again. It would be incredibly challenging to get a mermaid on a horse. "Can you um...well, you know?"

Juvia nodded again, and with a violent shudder her magnificent tail was replaced by a pair of well toned legs. Exhausted as she was now, changing forms took nearly all her magical power. Usually she could do it without even thinking.

Gray's face turned crimson as he looked at the now naked young woman. He tried, with little success, to keep himself from appreciating her gorgeous skin and enticing curves.

"D-do not take...advantage of Juvia," she whined hoarsely, pulling the prince from his musings. Neptune had always cautioned her against going bare around land dwelling men.

"I'm really not like that!" Gray insisted, even more flustered than he was before. Without hesitation, he unclipped his fur lined cloak and covered her with it. "I'm sorry for looking, I've never seen-"

"A mer-person changing," she sat up, shivering even as she wrapped the cloak tightly around her, "or a woman's body?" Now that she really looked, he had to be the best looking man she'd ever seen. Highborn, too. Minerva had shown her how to tell by the way they dressed.

Gray twitched in annoyance. "The first one."

Juvia laughed weakly at his reaction and tried to stand, but her legs gave out underneath her almost immediately. He..._did things for her_. Physically, at least. Under an alternative set of circumstances, she imagined this conversation would play out much differently.

Gray caught her and carried the mermaid bridal style to his steed. "It's only a half hour's ride from here," he said once she was settled in front of him.

Juvia's back rested against the prince's chest as her eyes drifted closed. "W-wake Juvia when w-we get there." Her voice trembled as she continued to shiver from the cold.

Gray frowned at this. She seemed worse than before. Maybe her mermaid form had more tolerance for the cold. "Don't go to sleep."

"B-but Juvia is tired," she protested, sounding quite dismayed.

"No you're not," Gray replied. "Your body is trying to shut down because you're freezing." He had never been the best at sugarcoating things. That way more Lyon's department. "If you sleep, you'll die."

"That's...nice," the mermaid sighed.

"You're not even listening." The ice mage's left eye twitched. "Never mind. Tell me something about yourself. How did you get here?"

"Swam...Juvia thinks," she cleared her throat, "...you know this already."

If he hadn't been holding her and the horse's reins, Gray might have slapped himself in the face. Why else would a girl with fins be washed up on the sea shore? "You're right. That was a bad one. And I guess you're from the Sea Kingdom, right?"

"...Correct." She scrunched up her nose in distaste. His chest was too muscular to be a good pillow.

Gray could tell she was only half conscious at that point, if not less. He had to keep her talking somehow. "That's more than a week away by ship. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Juvia had to run…" She sounded a bit more lucid now, but her words were tinted with a deep sadness. "She wanted to try and fight but they were already…" Neptune. Adrian. Marinella. Juvia felt like the tears were freezing on her cheeks as soon as they fell.

"Is something chasing you?" Gray asked, with real concern this time.

She nodded.

"Care to tell me what?"

"Juvia doesn't...want to talk about it now. She will leave as soon as she c-can so you are not endangered."

Then, to her surprise, the young man squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Listen, I don't know what you've been through, but I can promise that nothing's gonna get you up here." No army had successfully penetrated the north in over two decades. "You're under our protection now."

This piqued Juvia's interest. She glanced up at him with bleary eyes. Here he was, chipping away at her life story and she didn't even know his name. "Who are you?"

"Long answer or short?" He sighed.

Juvia gave a shaky smile. Highborn, indeed. The more noble a person's bloodline, the more they hated introducing themselves. "Long."

"Gray of House Fullbuster, son of Empress Ur and Silver the Conqueror, prince of the Northern Empire and third in line for the throne." He shook his head. That was always a mouthful. "Now who wants to know?" Although he already had a pretty good idea.

"Juvia of the Great Sea...House Lockser. Daughter of King Neptune VII and Queen Vivianna…" she flinched at the next part, worsening her trembling despite the heat of her rage. "And sole heir to the aquatic...throne."

"I would say it's nice to meet you," the dark haired prince replied, "but I wish it was under better circumstances." When she didn't respond for over a minute, he shook her slightly. "Juvia, you can't go to sleep."

"Please…" When she looked up at him, the prince saw that her lips were taking on a bluish color. "I'm cold." She felt like her insides were turning to ice. Her maritime home never got any colder than temperate.

"I know." He wrapped his arm tighter around her waist. He didn't know her very well, but he figured her dropping the third person had to be a bad sign."Just hold on. We're almost there."

Then, something occurred to the princess. "W-will Gray's family l...like Juvia?"

He looked down at the shaking girl incredulously. That was a strange thing to be worried about when one was in the process of freezing to death. "Sure. They'll love you."

"But J-Juvia has no clothes. S-she looks…like a wreck."

Gray prompted his horse to gallop even faster as they approached the palace's towering clear gates. How did her mind even work?

"You're beautiful," he assured halfheartedly. And it was true. His brother probably wouldn't be able to keep away from her. "Now, let's get you inside."

**The Kingdom of Celestial Lights **

Yukino released a pained gasp as her ladies tightened her corset. Dressing always became a more gruesome ordeal than usual on special occasions.

"Your Royal Highness has finally come of age." One of them sighed nostalgically as she helped her into a powder blue gown with white feather trimmings along the neckline. White silk gloves extended up to her elbows.

"You are as beautiful as your royal mother, gods rest her soul," another praised as she brought forward Yukino's tiara case. "Which of them would you like to wear today, princess?"

Yukino shook her head slightly. Between her father's memorial service and her sister's coronation, the past few days had been far more formal than she found tolerable. "Oh, none of that today," she said. "Can you bring my flower, please?" It was a mystery to the serving staff how she wore the same rose almost every day without it ever losing an ounce of its vitality.

The maid hesitated for a moment. "I-I'm afraid the high queen insisted."

Yukino gave the servant girl a small smile to show she wasn't upset with her. "Of course she did." That Sorano. "Alright, I'll have this one." She selected a simple silver tiara adorned with a single sapphire.

Yukino then proceeded to the war room for that morning's meeting. Her sisters and the rest of the lawmaking council—most of it comprised of women since the start of Sorano's reign—were already present when she arrived.

Once she took her spot between Mira and Lisanna, the meeting commenced.

"I have called you all here on such short notice chiefly to ask forgiveness for not consulting you all on this matter sooner." The room was eerily silent. Even in her youth, the high queen had never been the sort that required anyone's forgiveness. "I am not despotic, nor do I enjoy acting unilaterally, but the situation has become dire. Our old enemies will search for any sign of weakness to exploit. Also, as we all know, Zeref and Acnologia have begun to move."

A concerned murmur briefly moved its way around the room. Everyone knew that the Sea Kingdom had already been laid to waste. Their last surviving princess has fled north."

"Poor Juvia," Mira said, voicing everyone's thoughts. "She must remain in our prayers."

"Hopefully Prince Gray and Prince Lyon are keeping her occupied," Lisanna whispered naughtily into Yukino's ear.

"_Lisanna,_" she chided.

"At any rate," Sorano continued, reclaiming the room. "To avoid our own kingdom meeting a similar fate, I have contracted with the holy dragon Weisslogia for his protection. His human representative shall arrive today to negotiate the details."

Yukino's heartbeat quickened as she remembered the boy in the woods who charmed her cherished flower with holy magic.

"Your majesty, you know not what you do!" Lord Byro exclaimed. "This is a dragon we're speaking of. How can we trust him whilst we all know of Acnologia's wickedness?"

Sorano's eyes narrowed dangerously. "My lord, need I remind you that Acnologia was once a man?"

"Folklore!"

"Heresy!"

"No, my sister is correct," Lisanna piped up. "No species is more capable of malevolence than our own."

"Then, will the queen have us pay for it by becoming dragon feed?" Lord Brain, the late king's advisor challenged. "King Lucien would never-"

"Well regretfully, my lords, father is no longer with us," Mirajane cut him off. "My sister is queen now, and you will heed her."

"This is what happens when you allow a woman to rule in her own right," another older member of the council lamented. "Back when we had the north-"

"Enough!" Sorano commanded. She ought to have his head for such insolence. "What's done is done. I trust the dragon, and anyone who questions the decision can try their luck back north in the dungeons of Empress Ur. Now," She pulled a scroll out from the wide sleeve of her dress. "On a different topic, I will need someone to deliver this request for an alliance to the rulers of the distant Flame Kingdom. Presently, only they have the means to counter Zeref and Acnologia."

The assembly was shocked. Little was known of that kingdom save a rumor that it was ruled by a dragon king and a human prince. Few on their side of the world had ever dared to venture there.

"I will go," a voice called out after a lengthy pause. It was the duchess, Lucy Heartfilia, whose mother had trained two of the princesses in celestial spirit magic. It would be better than sitting around waiting to be sold off to some duke or count by her father.

Sorano smirked. Save her own sisters there was no one she trusted more with the job. "Permission granted. We will begin to make the preparations for your journey immediately."

"Thank you, my queen." The blonde tried hard to contain her pleasure. She would finally follow in her mother's footsteps. This was the adventure she'd always been waiting for.

Moments later a guard entered to inform the queen that the dragon's emissary had arrived. Sorano dismissed the council and ushered her sisters into the throne room to receive their guest.

At this time Yukino, excusing herself, dashed back to her rooms and traded her tiara for her flower while the maids were otherwise occupied. She strategically returned to the throne room when it would be too late for Sorano to send her back.

Just as she'd planned, the high queen could do nothing more than send an irritated glance her way before the arrival of their guest was announced.

"_Presenting Lord Sting Eucliffe, heir of the holy dragon Weisslogia…and Sir Lector, the most noble exceed of Extalia_."

Yukino could not keep the wide grin off her face for the life of her. The years had been good to him. He'd grown tall and muscular, his features angular while still preserving his boyish charm.

"Your majesty, Queen Sorano I presume," he said bowing politely at the eldest sister.

"You guess correctly." She nodded in acknowledgment, but did not bow as doing so would defy her new station. "These are my younger sisters."

"Mirajane, Grand Duchess of Magnolia and the Southern Isles."

The wavy haired mage introduced herself with a curtsy. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is all mine, your highness."

"Princess Yukino, sovereign of Crocus and the Blooming Hills," Sorano continued.

Sting bowed and kissed her gloved hand. "Princess." He winked discreetly at Yukino, presumably as he caught her staring. _Yes, he had remembered her. _

"My lord," she breathed, hesitantly meeting his electric blue eyes.

Something vaguely intimate in their voices made Mirajane grin and Sorano eye them warily.

"And Princess Lisanna, heir to Haregeon and the Coastal Plains," the queen said, rushing the encounter along. A feeling of loss came over Yukino when he had to let go of her hand.

"Welcome to our kingdom," Lisanna said with a deep curtsy.

"Thank you for your great hospitality."

"Mirajane," Sorano began, "would you mind entertaining our guest until the feast begins?"

"Actually," Mira said with a smirk. "I am feeling a bit under the weather, sister. Yukino, would you mind showing Lord Sting around instead?"

"No problem at all." It took all of Yukino's strength to contain her glee. "Rest well, Mira. Sorano, Lisanna, I will see you both tonight."

Once they made their exit, and the grand double doors closed behind Sting and Yukino, Lector piped up. "Long time no see, Yukino!"

"Hello, Lector!" she laughed, before eyeing Sting. "I take it you believe me this time."

"I could say the same of you, _princess_."

"You're still not a knight," she quipped before her mind could even process her speech. How long had it been since she was last able to banter so freely? "Although you do clean up quite nicely."

"You still wear the flower," he noted. She seemed to prefer it to the ornate crowns her sisters donned. "And it still suits you."

"Thank you. It is my symbol after all." Yukino flushed, her shyness getting the better of her again. "W-would you like to go riding around the kingdom? If your steed is tired from the journey here, you can take one of ours from the stables."

The red furred exceed laughed aloud at this. "Yukino, don't you know that dragon slayers get-"

"We get more out of tours when we're on foot," Sting interrupted. There was no reason for her to know about the debilitating motion sickness just yet. "It's all about mingling with the people."

Yukino looked at him questioningly. That was an odd reason. "Oh, um...alright. Whatever you like."

"So," Lector began, turning towards the princess. "What do you guys do for fun around here?"

"Well," she smiled. "I do rather enjoy swimming in the lake near the forest...and after that," the princess blushed, half sure he would think her an idiot. "I do believe I owe you a game of tag from the last time we met."

The dragon slayer and his cat exchanged a glance. She hadn't changed much in the ways that most mattered. This would be the start of a very beautiful friendship.

**The Land of the Dark **

"Perfect. Just perfect," Kagura lamented, surveying the pandemonium around her. She and Erza, on their recently resumed search for their long lost friends, had decided to spend a few days in the lovely city of Crocus.

It was all people raved about on this side of the world. Visit the blooming city, they said. Great food, lovely sights. Nobody mentioned that it would be under attack. "This is going to put us behind," she complained as the they fled the cafe they'd been sitting in moments ago. It was now burning to the ground.

"It can't be helped," the red haired woman replied, more ambivalent than irritated. "We knew what we were getting into once we left the Flame Kingdom. Now, come on," she dodged a spear poorly aimed at a man in chain mail. "We can get on the western pass."

"Wait." Kagura held her hand out in front of her friend. "Look at their crests. Those are King Erebus' men." Unconsciously her hand fell to the hilt of her sword. How Archenemy thirsted for that man's blood.

Erza sighed, holding up her peasant skirt to keep it from getting dirty. "Getting involved here won't help us find Simon and the others," she reasoned. "And it's highly unlikely that he's here."

"Maybe one of his sons is." Gajeel. Ryos. Warmongering bastards. She'd gladly sink her blade into their hearts as well.

"What are the chances-"

"_For Prince Ryos!" _Another dozen soldiers in dark metal armor hollered as they charged past them to ride against Queen Sorano's men. "Storm the Lores' palace!"

Erza and Kagura's eyes locked in a silent standoff before the latter turned on her heel and took off deep into the thick of the battle. "Meet me at the city gate in an hour!"

The scarlet haired woman sighed, annoyed, before darting after her travel companion. "Oh my...wait!"

When Kagura reached the stronghold of House Lore, the dark army appeared to be mere minutes away from taking the city. With much skill, she cut her way through throngs of fodder men until she saw a well dressed blond struggling against what looked like a moving shadow.

"Memory-make: Lightning Stream." While Lord Rufus wasn't deft with a sword, his magic usually left him and his impervious to attack. However, the shadow-being evaded his conjurings with ease.

"There's still time to surrender this place to me," the man, who Kagura assumed to be Prince Ryos, warned. "You can escape with your life."

"My memory tells me," the make-mage shot back, dodging him again but more clumsily this time. "That an angry Sorano will be more severe than your father if I allow her favorite sister's city to fall."

The prince had no illusions about what would come next. After all, his father had told him explicitly not to show mercy. Readying his blade, he moved in to sever the make-mage's head—a clean, painless strike.

However, instead of cartilage his blade was met by another. Before he could gain his bearings, the mystery opponent kicked him square in the chest. The force winded the prince and sent him back a few feet.

"Who are you?" Rufus questioned, perplexed by her swift arrival.

"Consider me your champion." She readied her battle stance, not even bothering to look back at him. "Get to safety. This one is mine."

In less than a moment, she was back on him. Their swords danced swiftly, leaving them without time to study the each other's faces.

The only things Rouge could tell between the rapid shifting and clanging of metal on metal were that his opponent was a woman, and her sword was still sheathed.

He vaguely remembered seeing a similar style years before in the courts of the dragon king..._wait_.

He tried to get a good look at the girl, and was rewarded with a knee to the groin. Her next slash, probably meant to be fatal, left a gash across the bridge of his nose.

"Are you a sellsword?" he asked, trying to work through the profound pain in his nether regions. No trained soldier would fight so ruthlessly.

"I'm an avenger." She steeled herself as he took his shadow form again. She shut her eyes, listening. He was too fast. She wouldn't be able to see him, but she'd hear his blade cut the air.

"Shadow dragon's claw!"

Kagura's body slammed into the back wall. "Fuck." A dragon slayer. Like Natsu. This would be more complicated than she'd hoped.

Wincing at the pain in the back of her head, she quickly jumped back to her feet.

"And who, exactly, are you avenging?" Gajeel was the one with a blood trail that ran miles long, not him.

Cancelling the gravity in the room, Kagura elevated the prince to the parlor's high ceiling and then dropped him hard on his back. Without missing a beat she straddled him holding Archenemy, now unsheathed and pulsating with her pent up rage, at the base of his neck.

"This is for Rosemary Villa-"

"Kagura?" he questioned, finally getting a good enough look to know for sure. Those honey-hazel eyes. That almost purple hair. Without a doubt, it was the same person he'd met in Natsu's kingdom.

"You?" She lowered her sword fractionally. It was the innocent rich boy—ruby eyes—the only person in all those years to make her feel a bit less hateful. "You're Prince Ryos?"

"Yes, but-"

"You said your name was Rogue!" She slapped him across the face, making sure to use the hand with rings on it. "You _twisted_ ass. You listened to me talk about my village. You listened to me talk about my _family_, and you knew it was your father pulling the strings!"

"I don't know how you got this information, but you're mistaken. There is no Rosemary Village in my kingdom." He would know. He was the one who dealt with the financial records, as his father and brother both preferred devoting their time to military matters.

"No, there wouldn't be," she spat. "Not since its population was taken by King Erebus' army. His own subjects sacrificed to resurrect a demon shadow."

_Shadow_. That was what the malevolent voice that often poured wickedness into his thoughts called itself. It tried to take over him whenever he was at his weakest. Everyone had always told him it was nothing—just a lingering symptom of the illness he suffered as a surely even his father wouldn't go that far…

For Gajeel's sake, maybe, but not for him. "We would never sacrifice our own people. It's forbidden. Sacrifices are only taken from-"

"War prisoners, I know," Kagura sneered. She had spent years studying the law, history, and religion of her old home trying to find out more about the massacre. "You only ride into battle for the sake of your gods. Is that what your mother and father told you?"

"It's the truth-"

"Maybe, in prosperous times. But what about when there were no prisoners? When your father was losing battle after battle against King Lucien? Who had to die then?"

He looked her dead in the eyes. "We don't lose battles, Kagura. Our military is the strongest below the frigid north. The last time had to be over ten years ago."

"Ten years exactly," she replied icily. "And what did the king do? He picked the poorest, least productive peasant village in his kingdom and condemned every man, woman, and child to death."

"That can't be," the prince protested, though his uncertainty grew stronger by the second.

"You really don't know anything." She laughed disjointedly. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Kind and peace-loving as he appeared to be, it was probably better to keep the young royal in the dark. "But if you still aren't sure, meditate upon your father's character just for a moment. Then try to tell me that I am mistaken."

And then he knew it. Truthfully, a part of him had known from the moment she first said it. His father was a ruthless man. He had ordered the deaths of hundreds—maybe thousands—of his citizens to put the shadow inside him._ He_ was the demon.

"I believe you...and you don't know how sorry I am." He guided the tip of her sword to line up with his heart. Although he'd been too young to have any say in the decision, he felt complicit in her suffering. "Take your revenge, Kagura."

Her eyes widened in shock. She could tell from his deeply wounded expression that it was not a trick. Her hands, wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword, shook more and more with each second she looked at him.

Angry, frustrated tears welled in the corners of her eyes. For a decade she had been training tirelessly for this moment, but in the end she was weak. Because she knew in her heart, or whatever was left of it, that he was as innocent as the people she lost when she was a child. Kagura slid her sword back into its sheath with a definite clang.

"I cannot bring myself kill you, Rogue." It would leave a bad taste in her mouth, and a profound sadness in parts of her soul she thought no longer existed. "I just want you to swear me an oath."

This was quite the turn of events. "What is it?" Did she want her weight in gold? A fist full of diamonds? A seaside estate? She never struck him as the type that could be bought.

"Succeed your father, and do better." She stood abruptly and started to walk away from him. "Rule with mercy, like that I have just shown you. I know you will. It is your nature."

"Kagura," he stood and started to walk after her. "Wait, I-"

"Don't make me regret this decision. That is all I ask of you." And then she escaped out of the double doors and into the chaotic streets, making herself impossible to find.

**The Flame Kingdom**

Lucy Heartfilia watched as her travel trunks were loaded onto the stage coach. A heavy fog hung over the morning, as though the land itself was mourning her departure.

It was the first time the eighteen year old duchess would leave her home, the Kingdom of Celestial Lights, and now she was off to a land to which very few had ever ventured.

She held fast to the scroll in her gloved hands for comfort. This alliance would be essential to the survival of her people, and maybe to that of the entire world as she knew it.

"Lucy," the high queen, Sorano, called to her. "The kingdom thanks you for your service."

"Of course, your majesty."

After receiving the blessing of the queen's three sisters, princesses Mirajane, Yukino, and Lisanna, the duchess stepped into her carriage to be ferried off into the unknown.

She traveled for weeks by coach and by boat and after more than a month she finally arrived in the ever mysterious Flame Kingdom. In the markets, humans and dragons conversed and traded goods with one another. The vibrant scents of spices, perfumes, and roasting meats mingled and wafted towards her from all sides.

The oppressive heat made her corset and petticoats stick to her in the most undesirable of ways and she looked upon the local women in short tops and loose, flowing skirts with great envy.

When she reached palace of the dragon king, the largest and most magnificent structure she'd ever laid eyes on, Lucy took a moment to adjust her bun and dab the sweat from her face with an embroidered handkerchief. Only then did she announce her arrival to one of the human guards.

"_Introducing Lady Lucy Heartfilia, emissary to Queen Sorano of the Kingdom of Celestial Lights_," the guard declared in the common tongue before backing out of the room.

Then a dragon with magnificent crimson scales, much larger than the ones Lucy saw in the market, emerged from behind a scarlet curtain.

"How can I help you, dear?" the dragon inquired.

Lucy blinked and shook her head. Before this day she had never even seen a dragon, now she was supposed to be negotiating with one. "W-well my queen sent me to meet with you, your majesty-"

The dragon shook his head at her. He was far too familiar with humans and their excessively formal monarchies. "There aren't any _majesties _around here, young lady. I'm Igneel."

"Pops," another voice called from behind the curtain. "Who are you talking to in there? Is Erza back?"

"No, Natsu! I'm meeting with a dignitary!" Igneel sighed, turning his attention back to Lucy who was quickly losing the struggle to contain her amusement. "You'll have to forgive my son."

"No problem at all," the blonde replied despite her apparent shock. If one of the four princesses dared to disrupt the late king of her land in a meeting there would have been hell to pay.

"Um, resuming my place, I am here to propose an alliance between our lands to combat the assaults of Acnologia and his forces. Of course, we will have to discuss the formalities of this agreement over the next few-"

"I agree."

Lucy blinked. No monarch ever agreed to _anything_ that easily. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"You heard my dad," then, to Lucy's absolute shock, a _human_ with spiky pink hair emerged from behind the curtains. "Anyone who wants to stick it to Acnologia is a friend of ours."

"It is as my son says," Igneel declared. "Tell your queen that she has our full support."

All Lucy could do was stare on in shock. She had been prepared to debate the conditions of the alliance for weeks. The queen had even given her authorization to relinquish certain provinces if all else failed.

"O-oh, um, thank you. If that's the case, if your maj- I mean, Igneel would just put his seal on this, I can be be on my way." Lucy held out the scroll to them. "It took me over a month to get here so-"

"Stay for a while," Natsu encouraged with a grin. "We'll get somebody to fly you back."

"It cuts the journey down to two days," the dragon king informed. "Please receive our hospitality. Cana will show you to your rooms."

A young woman with wavy brown hair appeared from behind another pair of curtains in a smaller corridor. "Come on, I'll get you ready for the feast tonight."

"A feast?" the blonde questioned. "What's the occasion?"

"You," the prince answered as though it were the most universal of truths. "We made a new friend."

Lucy met his eyes and something in her stomach began to flutter. The open and honest nature of this man, of this entire realm, was something completely foreign to her. She couldn't remember the last time someone had looked upon her with such unadulterated kindness.

"T-thank you, your highness."

"It's Natsu!" she corrected as Cana led her away. "See you tonight, uh, what was your name again?"

"Lucy Heartfilia!" she shouted back, momentarily forgetting her manners.

"See you tonight, Lucy!"

Oh, the stories she'd be able to tell once she got home. This was exactly the adventure she had been looking for.

**Author's Notes: **Ah, the fated meetings (Gray and Juvia, Natsu and Lucy). Now the story has _really_ begun lol. Thank you for reading, everyone! Please review and tell me what you think :)


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three **

**The Flame Kingdom **

"Natsu! Natsu!" A group of village girls bearing baskets of loose and strung flowers called as they approached where he and Lucy were sitting. "Why are we celebrating?"

He grinned, ruffling the hair of the one who spoke. "Cuz Lucy came."

"Welcome, Lucy," another little girl said as she placed a bracelet of strung flowers on the blonde's wrist. It seemed as though all the six year olds in the kingdom wanted to meet the young dignitary.

"For me?" Lucy asked, smiling brightly. "Thank you so much."

"She's so pretty," another said, braiding even more flowers into the celestial mage's hair. "Are you a princess where you're from?"

"No, not quite." She laughed at this. "I'm actually-"

"I know!" a third declared. "She's come here to marry Natsu. This is actually their engagement party."

"No, I...it isn't…" she grappled desperately for the right words. She hadn't been expecting that. "I'm-"

"In loooooooooove," the prince's exceed cut in.

"It's not like that!" she corrected immediately, but Happy's words had already drawn out their imaginations.

"_I knew it!" _

"_How romantic!" _

The longer they kept gushing, the more she wanted to melt into the cushion she was sitting on.

"Come on, guys. Stop messing with her," Natsu said after a minute. "We're just friends. Now go find some seats before you miss the fire dancers."

"Okay, bye!"

"Bye, Lucy!" they called as they bounded away.

Minutes later, Lucy's eyes lit up with delight as she watched the dancers skillfully move and breathe to the rhythm of their element. "That's amazing!" she exclaimed when one of them exhaled a flame pillar more than twelve feet in the air.

"That's nothing," Natsu told her with a toothy grin. "Igneel could shoot a flame around the entire world if he wanted."

"No way!" Her eyes darted to the king who was chatting it up with a group of human and dragon friends. "The entire world?"

"Nah, not really," he laughed. "Pops wouldn't do it anyway, he'd probably burn somebody's house down."

"Lucy, you'd fall for anything," Natsu's small blue cat, Happy, noted. "You must have been born yesterday."

"That's not true," the blonde defended, as she plopped a grape into her mouth petulantly. "Things are just very different where I'm from. Igneel is the first dragon I've ever met."

"What's it like where you're from?" Natsu leaned back against the cushions that had been arranged under the stars for the festivities. He hadn't visited many all-human kingdoms, but Kagura and Erza always made them sound like such terrible places.

"Well," Lucy turned toward the salmon haired prince, "everything's a lot more formal than it is here. We address kings and queens as 'your majesty' and princes and princesses as 'your highness.' We never have feasts outdoors like this and, well, you saw the way I was dressed when I arrived."

"Don't you guys get really hot?"

The duchess shook her head. "The climate is much cooler there, but corsets are still uncomfortable. I wish I could dress like this every day." She now wore a loose pink skirt with gold embroidery in a dragon scale pattern, and a white shirt that bared her midriff.

Natsu glanced at her, confused. "What's a corset?"

A faint blush dusted Lucy's cheeks at the question. "Well...it's a garment women wear beneath the top half of their gowns. When our maidservants are helping us dress, they pull on the strings very tightly so that our waists look slimmer and our…" she cleared her throat, embarrassed, "chests look bigger."

He raised an eyebrow incredulously. Strange custom. "I mean, it's not like you need any help there."

"Natsu, that's harassment!" Happy chided. He could start a war that way.

"No it's not!" he defended. "I'm trying to understand Lucy's culture. Why would anyone make themselves uncomfortable when there's no real reason for it? Do you feel harassed, Lucy?"

"Oddly, no," she admitted. It was almost sweet how clueless he was. "And I guess it's just something noblewomen in my kingdom have always had to do. Even though no one benefits from it anymore, and I doubt anyone ever did, nobody questions it."

"That kind of sucks." He was beginning to think his adopted sisters were right. "Tell me about something you like there."

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

Lucy smiled at the two, accepting a cup of spiced wine when a servant came to offer them refreshment. "Well, there's the legacy of the celestial queens."

"What's that?"

"Well, you know how in some kingdoms descent is passed from father to son?" she prompted.

"Like how I'll be king after Igneel?"

"In a way…" She supposed Natsu and Igneel were a special case, given the difference in species. "But in my kingdom the right to rule is matrilineal, or passed from mother to daughter. The queens in the Kingdom of Celestial Lights have almost always been celestial wizards, and holders of zodiac keys."

"Are zodiac keys a big deal or something?" Natsu thought Igneel had taught him a lot about the world, but there was so much he didn't know.

"They're the most powerful keys a celestial wizard can have. The majority of them were scattered around the world for the longest time, but two great mages from my kingdom hunted them down together when they were young."

She removed her own gold keys from the small leather pouch she kept them in and placed them in the prince's hand. "They correspond with the constellations. Leo the lion, Virgo the maiden, and Taurus the bull." Lucy tried to point them out in the night sky as she explained.

"No way! You're a great wizard?" Happy questioned with wide eyes.

"Don't say it with such a look of disbelief," Lucy chastised. "But no, the two wizards were the late Queen Alina and my mother, Layla Heartfilia. Mom always says that travelling the world with her closest friend was the best time of her life."

"Sounds like it," Natsu agreed. "Going on quests and kicking ass. Just the thought of it gets me fired up!"

"Me too!" Lucy's face lit up at this. "Except not so much on the fighting part. That's why I jumped at the opportunity to come here."

"Then we should go on an adventure someday." The wheels were already beginning to turn in his head.

Lucy laughed, nodding her agreement. "Definitely. Just tell me the time and place." She glanced upward just in time to see a shooting star dart across the horizon. "We might just be the world's strongest team."

Natsu smirked at the duchess. "You'll make a good partner, even though you're a little weird."

"Aye!"

**The Land of the Dark **

Levy watched passively as her maid dusted glittering gold powder over her exposed back, arms, and collar bone. She patiently endured the blonde woman's long suffering deliberation about which floral hair comb should sit atop her high bun.

Usually she would protest such vanities, as well as the immodesty of her pale yellow gown—tight fitting and backless with a romantic sweetheart top—but tonight was special. "Which fragrance should I wear tonight, Jenny?"

"I would use the patchouli, my lady, if it were me." She walked to the far side of the room and returned with a small vial. "It has aphrodisiac properties. A bit on the wrists, the neck, and behind the ears," she applied scented oil to each spot on the young noble as she continued, "and even Prince Gajeel won't be able to resist you."

Levy unconsciously started to nibble her bottom lip at the mention of his name. "W-why would you bring him up?"

"I was your age not too long ago," she reminded as she carefully lined Levy's eyelids with khol. "I know what desire looks like. And it's perfectly natural. He's a few years older than you, he's never lost a battle, he's the crown prince."

"He is betrothed," the petite young woman replied, sullenly. "To the princess of the Sea Kingdom."

"Which is no more," the streetwise maid retorted. "Even a lowly servant like me knows as much. There's no way the king will honor that alliance now."

The blue haired scholar sighed. "With less than five hundred men at his back, Gajeel could reclaim the Sea from its usurper in a day. And now that her oldest brother has passed, Princess Juvia and Prince Gajeel will reign sovereign over both kingdoms." From his family's perspective, it was actually a better arrangement than before.

Jenny sighed as she placed a transparent tulle shawl around her lady's shoulders. Had she been born into Levy's station, she would have flirted and finagled her way through half the royals in Ishgar. "If I might be so bold, Lady Levy, you could stand to have a bit more hope about these things. Happy endings aren't just for characters in books. Sometimes you have to reach out and take them for yourself."

"Some of us are short, Jenny." But even so, she would try to make her best appearance at the victory ball because it was his night, and he wasn't married _yet_.

"My daughter," Lord Gregor McGarden began as he escorted Levy into the grand banquet hall. "You appear to have grown into a woman overnight, much like the marigolds that sprout from seed less than a week after their sowing."

"Only with ample sunlight and care, like that which you have shown me, father," she presented her own floral comparison with a smile.

They made their way to their seats near the far end of the banquet table. Her father's rank—being only that of a baron—did not give them the privilege of being shoulder to shoulder with the royal family.

"You will be eighteen this winter, Levy," the royal scholar pointed out. "Have you at all begun to turn your mind to marriage?" A girl so lovely likely had hordes of admirers he, as her father, preferred to know nothing about.

"Not substantially," she said breezily. Not in any feasible way. "What brings this on, father?"

"House Lates' has proposed a match between you and their eldest son Hibiki," the man said softly, as for his words not to be spread to greedy ears. "They are a learned family," he stressed, "and the boy himself is already making an impressive mark on scholarship."

Levy nodded, passively agreeing. "I have read one of his books, and found it fascinating," she admitted. "But-"

"Ah, _but_," the baron repeated. "The conjunction of doubt and dismissal—most commonly used to convert a positive response into a negative one. It is the bane of fathers with daughters of marriageable age, more often than not breaking our hearts. _But_, please, go on."

She shook her head at his theatrics. "But," Levy continued, "If I'm not mistaken, House Lates is in the Northern Empire. If I am to wed Lord Hibiki, won't I have to move there?"

"That would be the arrangement, yes."

"Then," she looked down, fiddling with her delicate charm bracelet, "how will I advise Prince Gajeel when he ascends the throne? He's already chosen me." She would be the first woman in their kingdom's history to hold the post.

The man frowned, clearly troubled by the turn their discussion would have to take. "My dear," he began tentatively, "given the _circumstances_ of your birth, don't you think it would be wise for you to live outside of this kingdom?"

Levy immediately knew what he was talking about. He'd been worried about it since she was a child. "The heart sacrifice is nothing more than an archaic legend. You've said yourself that no historian can pinpoint the last time one has been performed. And besides, Gajeel would never-"

"That's another of my concerns, daughter," he sighed. "Know that I only say what I do out of love for you. Your relationship with the prince…" he paused, "I fear that you are too fond of him—and he of you, for that matter. Our monarchs are incredibly particular about bloodlines and they have made themselves clear. The crown prince _must_ marry a princess." It pained the man to know that his standing barred his only child from all she desired.

"Father," she tried in vain to quell the nervousness in her voice. This was not something she wished to discuss with a parent. "Gajeel and I are not...rather we have not." A blush crept its way onto her cheeks. "O-of course I will remain chaste."

"That isn't at all what I meant. Rather…" Lord McGarden outwardly cringed at the awkwardness ensuing. "Your mother, may the gods rest her gentle soul, never once gazed upon me with a fraction of the fondness in your eyes when the prince's name is merely mentioned. Watching him take a queen and produce heirs will wound you deeply. I-"

Then a horn sounded, heralding the arrival of the royal family and the commencement of the evening's festivities. Noting the dazzled sparkle in his daughter's eyes when she saw the crown prince, Lord McGarden sighed. They would continue this conversation later.

The feast, as all great dinners in this country, was comprised of mostly meats and starches embellished by dragon wine and decadent cakes.

Just before the dancing was to begin, King Erebus decided to speak. "Tonight," he bellowed, "is a night of celebration. Under the stewardship of my sons, our military has taken the cities of Crocus and Magnolia. My youngest, Ryos, has sent the Lores running back to their bitch queen with their tails between their legs!"

A robust murmur of approval rumbled around the table at this. Rogue looked down at his goblet ashamedly. He could not for a moment sever his thoughts from the newfound knowledge of his family's transgressions.

"And my eldest Gajeel, your future king, has made the great Makarov Dreyar and his grandson prisoners in their own dungeons." He king lifted his goblet high. "We drink to their successes!"

"_To success!" _

Next, the queen gave her toast, "We drink to the gods of war and family to thank them for our prosperity!"

"_To the gods!" _

When Gajeel raised his goblet, he met a pair of hazel eyes near the far end of the table. "We drink to Lady Levy McGarden whose research and strategy won my battle against Laxus Dreyar!"

"_To Lady Levy!"_ The petite mage nearly choked on her wine when she heard it.

And Rogue simply could not bring himself to raise a glass for anything in the world.

Once the dancing begun Levy, as her father predicted, was flocked by her usual suitors.

"If Lady Levy would please honor me with a dance," a lanky orange haired youth entreated.

She sighed, impatiently. "Lord Jet, I-"

"Unless she would prefer my company," another minor lord's son with plant based magic interjected.

"Please, Lord Droy, don't-"

"Don't interrupt me while I'm courting, Droy!"

"But Jet, you always approach her first!"

"That's because I…"

She sighed again, crossing her arms. Once they were fully immersed in the juvenile argument, she'd be able to slip away from them unnoticed.

However, the approach of a large and powerful presence caused the two to disperse prematurely. Levy grinned, amused. All he had to do was stand there. "Thank you for that," she said. "And for your toast. It was very sweet."

"Geehee. Don't mention it." The prince looked down at her, admiring the way the pale yellow gown fit her. "My folks already covered all the good stuff, so I had to improvise."

"The good stuff," she repeated, half offended and half amused. "Am I not good enough to be toasted to on a regular basis, Gajeel?" The petite mage joked.

He smirked at her devilishly in a way that let her know he was about to say something wildly inappropriate. "In that dress, shrimp, you might have half the world raiding vineyards for you."

Levy, trying to keep the blush off her face, groped her mind for something clever to say. He could turn her thoughts to mist and he knew it. "What of the other half?"

"Well, those are the women," he retorted. "They'll be too busy eating their hearts out."

She knew then that her cheeks were cherry red, and there was little she could do about it. The two watched in silence as the jubilant mass of party goers split into pairs when the first notes of a waltz struck.

Levy watched the iron dragon slayer out of the corner of her eye. He looked simply dashing in his black sleeves shirt, lined with gold trim.

"I'm not asking you to dance, shrimp," he said after catching her staring discreetly.

"That's fine by me." But it was her favorite waltz, and she longed to dance. "Although...I do think Jet and Droy are on their way back."

"How irritating." Gajeel then took her by the hand and led her onto the dance floor. "But since I can't really beat the hell out of them here."

"It's out of pure necessity." She smiled as he placed his hand just above her hip.

"Can't be helped," he agreed, spinning her out and then drawing her back in. They continued to dance wordlessly for a few minutes and then he noticed the distant expression on her face. "What's the matter, shrimp? You're the one who wanted to dance."

"I said nothing of the sort," she defended. "And I was just thinking. The festivities tonight are really wonderful...It's a shame that Princess Juvia can't be here."

"Jealous?" He dipped her.

"No!" she shot back, all too quickly. "Just making conversation. She is your betrothed, after all."

"Well, converse with this." Gajeel smirked. She was an open book. "Juvia and I ain't getting married." He and the sea princess reached that conclusion years ago.

Levy was taken aback by this. Her eyes widened fractionally as they continued to dance. "But the king-"

"My pops is gonna get over it," the dragon slayer said decisively. "I'm not having kids with Juvia. The way I see it, she's as much of a sibling to me as Ryos."

The writing mage tried her hardest to keep the pleasure she took in this news off her face. Maybe Jenny had been right. "Speaking of Ryos," she began. "Your brother seems troubled since his return from Crocus. You should talk to him."

"If I listen to him for more than three minutes straight, I might turn into a romantic poet. Geeheehee."

"Be nice, Gajeel," she chided half heartedly. "You don't even mean it. But if you keep treating him this way, your relationship will deteriorate. I read all about it in a book on family dynamics."

"I don't know what you're going on about, shrimp. I don't treat him any 'way' in particular."

The blue haired young woman nearly scoffed at this. "You've been pushing him away since we were children. And if you think he doesn't notice, he does."

The prince sighed, growing tired of the subject. "Is this really what you wanna talk about right now?"

She glanced at him questioningly. "Do you have something else in mind?"

"I got you a present from Magnolia." He smirked. "Compliments of the Dreyars. It's upstairs."

Wordlessly, Levy started walking towards the double doors that led out of the ballroom. Once again her curiosity had gotten the better of her. "You win, this time. But you can't avoid the subject forever."

Gajeel raised a bolted eyebrow at her. He would see about that.

**The Kingdom of Celestial Lights**

"For god's sake Mira, stop pacing." Sorano said, briefly looking up from her book of financial records. The heels of her shoes clacked incessantly against the throne room's marble floor. "You're irritating me."

The white haired princess stopped in her tracks. "Would you like to know what's irritating _me_, sister?" Gone were all traces of the sweet and composed lady she'd grown into over the years.

"What, that your eye cream's stopped working?" The queen smirked. "You should really do something about all that puffiness. What would your adoring fans say?"

"I wouldn't know since the residents of my province are being captured by the dozens!" Mirajane sighed in frustration. "From what our scouts have said, those barbarians are torturing Laxus! They've taken Lord Makarov prisoner, and I'm afraid of what could happen if they don't let the poor old man take his medications!"

The queen glanced at her sister apathetically from over the rims of her reading glasses. "Thank you for your unsolicited reiteration of the current state of affairs. I'm handling it."

While Mirajane tried her best to be a kind and caring individual, nothing set her off as quickly as her older sister's snarky attitude. If not for the promise she made to her mother years before, she would have shown her exactly where could stick her assumed superiority—demon magic style. "No, you aren't, Sorano. You're bookkeeping. That is what you have always done when you want it to look like you're doing something."

"I am running this kingdom." A land as sizable as theirs had matters that must be attended to, battle or no. "And I will do so as I see fit. I don't have to answer to you."

"You're right, you don't. But you must answer to the loved ones of those lost while you sit idly by, to the oath you took when you became queen, to mother's legacy-"

"You know nothing of our mother's legacy," the elder sister interrupted. She had the angel scroll concealed in her rooms, protected by blood magic. "Or of my strategy."

Mirajane nearly scoffed at this. "Won't you just admit that you don't have one so we can begin planning? What about the dragon, Weisslogia?"

Sorano shut her book and removed her spectacles. "It would not be wise to call on him frivolously. Dragons tend not to involve themselves in human disputes. He will only assist us if Zeref and Acnologia turn their eyes toward our kingdom. Next idea."

"The dragon slayer, then." the blue eyed princess offered. "He'll definitely be willing to fight. Especially given how upset Yukino has been over Crocus."

"Lord Sting's uncultured charm and fondness for our sister aside, if you think there's anything he can accomplish that Sir Laxus could not on a battlefield you've grown more desperate than I originally thought."

"Fine. In that case I will take back Magnolia myself."

"And make a fine hostage. I'll end up having to acquiesce half our territories to King Erebus to pay your ransom. Now, if you're through wasting my time with half baked plans and sentimentalities, I have to enact the first stage of our retaliation." She stood, and descended the throne book in hand.

"What are you planning, Sorano?" Mira questioned as she walked by her.

"That's confidential. And, no, you can't help." With this, the young queen mounted the stairs to her rooms and bolted the doors behind her.

Once inside she went to her bookshelf and pulled out the most boring text in her possession, _The Encyclopedia of Etiquette and Courtly Manners. _She took her cross-hilted royal sword and lightly sliced the palm of her left hand. After a satisfactory amount of blood dripped onto the book's leather cover it began to glow. With the blood seal finally lifted, Sorano reached inside the hollowed out volume and removed her mother's legacy.

The Angel Scroll. Never in her wildest dreams did the young monarch think she'd have to use it so early in her reign. She unrolled the fine parchment with finality. "Awaken, protectors of the universe. I, Sorano of House Aguria, approach the gates of heaven. Lend me your sword and make home at my hearth," she read the scroll aloud and wrote her name beneath those of her mother, grandmother, and all the celestial queens of antiquity.

Then, in a cloud of powdery white smoke, a messenger appeared. Her entire body was alabaster, looking as though she had been carved from marble. Only her fluffy ivory wings seemed truly alive. "I am Seraphina, intermediary of all angelic contracts, and you...you are Queen Alina's firstborn." They'd been expecting her.

"Sorano," she introduced, trying to hide her utter fascination with the creature.

"Sorano. _Of the sky_. How expected of your mother." Seraphina studied the royal. She was rather small—the small ones tended not to last long, they wasted away too quickly—but there was a fire in her. They would have some fun with her, yet. "Now, what do you need from us?"

"Two of our provinces, Magnolia and Crocus, have been conquered by the forces of K-"

"King Erebus," the marblesque angel predicted, somewhat amused. It amazed how long humans could entertain their petty quarrels. "That will be a cost of five hundred." Quite a reaping for her first time.

"Gold or silver?"

"Silly girl." Seraphina's giggle sounded like a dissonant melody. Then, her face disquietingly serious, the angel pressed her palm against Sorano's chest and extracted what appeared to be fifty gold coins. "You heard her," she whispered to the coins, "Magnolia and Crocus. Stamp out the forces of the dark."

The queen rubbed at her chest, trying to catch her breath. "I...is that how I'll summon them."

The angel nodded once. "You won't have to call on me again, unless there's something in the contract you want to negotiate. Or if you miss me," she giggled again. "Now that the agreement is complete, you can summon the coins from inside of you. The stronger the angels, the higher the cost. It's all in the scroll."

"And as for these ones?" Sorano questioned.

"You'll have your cities back by sunrise."

But the pain would begin long before then.

**Author's Notes: **Hi everyone! I just wanted to mention that my winter break is coming to an end next week. When classes start for the spring semester, I may not be able to update as frequently as I'd like. Please try to be patient with me as I try to create a writing schedule that works with my studies. On a much lighter note, thank you for reading and supporting my story! Have a great day.!


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

**The Land of the Dark **

"It must be done!" King Erebus declared emphatically. "That Queen Sorano is as much a witch as her bloody mother was!"

"The McGardens are the most scholarly family in this kingdom, if not in all the kingdoms," Rogue tried to reason. "Killing Levy would be wasteful. Her knowledge is in large part what won us Magnolia."

"Precisely why the gods have marked her. They have no appetite for mediocrity. Those celestial queens have walked the edge of the dark arts for too long. With the legendary Heart Sacrifice complete, we will show them what it truly means to wield the night."

"Don't we pride ourselves on our military strength, father?" the younger prince tried again. "They're the ones who hide behind their tricks, not us. We fight. That's how it has always been."

"This too is warfare, son," he spat. "I'll hear nothing more on the subject."

"We're talking about the life of a loyal citizen. Someone here at court. We can't just-"

"Ryos," Gajeel eyed his younger brother with an unreadable expression. "Let it be." At this the crown prince rose from his seat at the war table. "I'm going on a trip. Pops, when is this happening?"

"A week from now," the king said with finality.

"I'll be back in eight days," he said before taking his leave.

"Gajeel-" the queen tried.

"Leave him be, Nyx." Her husband demanded. It would be better if he wasn't there to see it.

Rogue caught his brother about an hour later, when he was about to depart the palace with only an undecorated sack holding a few belongings. Even his exceed, Pantherlily, had been left behind.

"What is it, Ryos?" the iron dragon slayer asked without turning around.

Rogue could not detect any emotion in his voice. If anything at all, he sounded tired. "I won't presume to say I know how things are between you and Levy-"

"Good. You don't."

"But I'm not a fool, and neither are you. It's obvious that you love her to some degree, and if you leave without seeing her you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

At this, he turned his head back slowly. "You really don't know the first thing about me, do ya?"

Rouge stared into his elder brother's blood red eyes, identical to his own, and realized that he was completely right. "I suppose not." But whose fault was that, really?

"Geehee. See you around."

* * *

Levy languidly licked the whipped chocolate frosting off of yet another cupcake. The suite she'd been moved into perpetually smelled of a smoky sweet incense. Two guards stood at attention outside her room at all times, and at the chime of a bell servants would rush in to bring her anything her heart desired.

Four days into her confinement she'd already read her way through three epics, five historical texts, two travel journals, and seven books of romantic poetry. She'd eaten every food her palate coveted, and had perfumes from every kingdom at her disposal, but nothing eased her frazzled nerves.

In three days she was going to die.

Her father visited often, and it seemed like his soul aged a decade between each of their meetings. She wished, if only for his sake, that she heeded his advice and accepted House Lates' suit sooner. Lords Jet and Droy also stopped in a few times, but their incessant blubbering only lowered her spirits even more.

Levy sighed, placing the cupcake back on the dessert cart. Much like the dreams she held in her heart of hearts, the frosting had turned sour.

Just then, one of the guards unlocked the door. "Prince Ryos to see you, my lady," he announced.

"I'm decent," she assured. "You may grant him entry."

Levy smiled when she saw him. They'd never been particularly close, but he came to see her every day since she was put in isolation. "Thank you for coming, Rogue. I know you must have a lot to do."

"You did the same for me once." Rogue sat next to her on the soft futon. "I'm sorry about this, Levy. I've been trying to change my father's mind but-"

"The king is incredibly stubborn. He won't be moved." She heard Gajeel complain about his hardheadedness millions of times. Levy sighed dejectedly. Everything reminded her of him. "Gajeel hasn't returned yet, has he?" It was barely a question.

"No, not yet. He…"

"I know." She started playing with the gold locket around her neck, one of her presents from the raid on Magnolia. "This is what he always does."

"What do you mean?"

Levy gave the prince a long, undecipherable look and sighed. "He can't kill me for this after I'm already dead, right?" _Right?_ Well, it was his fault anyway for leaving, anyway. "I'm going to tell you something about your brother that might let you understand him better. I realized it a few years ago when I was reading about defense mechanisms."

"Defense mechanisms…"

"They're essentially unconscious ways in which people handle problems. It's a very interesting topic." She sighed. "Anyway, when we were younger you were really sick—since you were a baby, I think—and Gajeel was so sure you were going to die. He never wanted to get attached to you since he always thought you might be gone any minute."

Rogue gave her a look of utter disbelief. "Something like that…" He shook his head. "But that was over a decade ago."

"Gajeel isn't fond of the dark arts. The sacrifices, the incantations-he's never trusted any of it. I believe that's the only way in which he takes after your mother's side. He's never believed that something like the shadow could save you. Not even for a day." Levy rubbed her temples at the thought. What on earth was she going to do with him? "Even the strongest warriors try to avoid certain kinds of pain."

"He's…" Rogue found himself at a loss for words. "So selfish," he finally decided.

"Incredibly so," Levy agreed. But she didn't blame him for it. Not entirely. The king raised him, _trained_ him, to be without vulnerabilities. "When he comes back, can you tell him that I'm not mad? That I understand why…" He didn't want to watch her die while he was powerless to do anything. Her eyes began to well with tears. She wouldn't want to see something like that happen either.

"You really love him, don't you?" Rogue sighed sympathetically and handed her a handkerchief. His brother really knew how to mess up with people, didn't he?

"Yes." She took it gratefully as the first of her tears began to plummet, round and hot, onto the duvet. "But don't tell him that part, after I'm gone."

It would only hurt him more.

The next day, when the servants carted in her breakfast spread, none other than Gajeel's exceed was hidden under the white tablecloth. In hushed tones, Pantherlily asked her to fill a trunk with her most important possessions—dresses, books, anything she couldn't do without.

Confused, she told him that she wanted all of her things donated to the orphanage or the public library. With a conspiratorial grin, Lily told her to trust him. The script mage agreed, and the duration of her confinement passed without further incident.

On the seventh night since King Erebus' decision, Levy was brought to the roof of the palace temple. She was barefoot and dressed in a gown of the purest white satin. In great contrast, everything and everyone around was clad in darkness.

Even the soldiers in the army and residents of the royal city who gathered outside the castle to witness the legendary Heart Sacrifice wore their funeral attire.

Levy glanced up at the silver moon. It was only a matter of minutes now. When the clock struck twelve, the high priest would carve out her heart and toss it into the insidious black flames, unleashing an ancient and frightening power on the kingdom's enemies.

After it was over, she would join their pantheon as a lesser goddess and bless her people with her might and wisdom forevermore. As though it would make up for the loss of her life.

"We will begin the ceremony," the cleric declared, and his attendants began pouring basins of dragon's blood into the inky black flames.

Levy's eyes began to water at the strong smell of it. She decided to take one last look at the people around her.

Her father was weeping quietly. Her soul ached for him. He'd already lost her mother. The king seemed determined. His large, impending form pulsated with unbridled ambition. Neither Rogue nor the queen could bear to look at her. This day would weigh heavily on both of them, indeed. From Pantherlily, always the soldier, she could discern no real reaction.

"Lady McGarden, please kneel," the high priest prompted. With every inch of her body shaking, she shut her eyes and did as she was asked. As he read the words in an archaic tongue, a shadow crept over the tower, blocking out the stars and moonlight. The wind picked up.

The crowd below began murmuring anxiously.

He raised his knife. First he would cut away her gown. Levy shivered.

"Lily! Now!"

Her eyes shot open when she heard his voice.

No sooner than she opened her eyes to see the massive dragon beating his wings above them, were she and her father grabbed by Pantherlily and flown up to its back.

"Cutting it rather close there, Gajeel," the exceed commented.

"We had to get their stuff first, right?" the iron dragon slayer replied nonchalantly, referring to the travel trunks fastened to the dragon's metallic scales.

"Gajeel," Levy breathed. She thought she'd never see him again.

He smirked at her briefly. "Shrimp, pops, hold on tight." If he knew his father, they'd be chased halfway around the world.

"GAJEEL!" The king bellowed, emanating a dark light. The very ground beneath him seemed to quake with his rage. "What is the meaning of this?"

The crown prince stood up so his father could see him. "We're not gonna do it this way."

"_Gajeel is the true king!" _The words of a telepathic mage, Warren, sounded in the minds of every person in the crowd, just as Lily planned. "_He's the one who cares about the people! Erebus is corrupt. If he'd kill a noble, what will he do to the rest of us? ALL HAIL KING GAJEEL!" _

"All hail King Gajeel! All hail king Gajeel!" Lords Jet and Droy, Levy's admirers, started the chant out loud.

"All hail King Gajeel! All hail King Gajeel! All hail King Gajeel! All hail King Gajeel!" It rose up into a mighty cry as more and more people joined in.

By now King Erebus was twitching with the potency of his wrath. "Treasonous! By the gods, you'll pay for this!" Son or not, no one would threaten his regime with impunity. "Acid Dragon's…"

"Can you really defeat the king in a fight, Gajeel?" Lord Gregor questioned.

Metallicana chuckled. "We don't have to find out. Iron Dragon's roar!" His mighty breath attack decimated the tower, and then they took off into the night.

"You realize that there's no going back now," Lily commented as they sped over village after village. He orchestrated an attack against his own family.

The prince shrugged. It already happened. The only thing he could do was move forward. "Wasn't going to, anyway. But what the hell was all that king stuff about?" He had no intention of fighting for the throne.

"The people, noble and peasant alike, are tired of your father," the exceed explained. "A third of the royal army has assembled to fight at your command."

"So this is really happening, huh?" Only in his life could a simple rescue mission escalate into a civil war. "Thanks for this, by the way, Metalicana."

"I don't work for free." The iron dragon gave a low chuckle. "I'll be expecting some grandchildren out of you two when the war's over. Gihihi!"

Levy blushed and Gajeel only heaved an irritated sigh. Lord McGarden tried his best to convince himself that he didn't hear that.

Levy looked down and saw that they were crossing the western sea. "Where are we headed now?" There was only enough in that little trunk to last her a few weeks, at best.

"Some place I always said I'd take you."

And then, once she was safe, he would take his kingdom.

* * *

**The Flame Kingdom**

Lucy pointed a well manicured finger at the world map they spread out in the prince's rooms. "And there's Borealis, the royal city in the Northern Empire. My mother spent a few months there when I was ten, negotiating the peace treaty with Empress Ur. She said the ice palace was the most amazing piece of architecture she's ever seen."

"Ice…" Natsu gazed at her questioningly. "That's something you put in your drink. But a whole castle of it?"

Lucy sighed, thoroughly amused. He seemed to forget sometimes that in other places the weather wasn't always blazing. "I've never been there myself, but I've heard that the north is as cold as it's hot here."

A wide grin spread out on his face. "So I can make a flame castle?"

"I wouldn't advise it…" she trailed off. But then again, he was a prince. It wasn't like anyone could charge him for property damage. "Anyway, down here is the Vale of the Fairies."

"Your mom sure travels a lot," Natsu noted. This was the seventh place she pointed to since they started planning out their trip. "Don't you ever go with her?"

She shook her head. "I was too young before, so I would only see her for a few weeks at a time between her trips abroad."

"That must have been lonely," Happy said with a frown.

Lucy strained to fake a smile. "I always had my friends around, so it was alright for me. But I think that's the reason my mom likes to travel so much. Because she feels lonely. After Queen Alina died, she became depressed. My father always thought it was stupid to cry over a dead monarch."

"No offense, Lucy, but your dad is kind of dumb," Natsu decided.

"You can say that again," she agreed, thinking of the parade of suitors he forced her to interact with.

"Anyone would cry if they lost a friend."

"Aye!" Happy confirmed.

Lucy smiled at the pink haired prince in his crimson waistcoat that revealed his well-muscled abdominals.

"Natsu!" Just then they were joined by Cana, one of the servants. "Igneel said come to the receiving room. Some guests have arrived."

"Alright! Come on, Lucy." He extended his hand to the celestial spirit mage.

"Me?" she questioned. She was a visitor herself. How could they allow her to be involved in such things?

"Yeah, who else? Now, let's go."

Natsu sniffed the air as they made their way down to the dragon-sized receiving hall. "No way. That can't be…"

"Yo, Salamander."

"Gajeel! Metalicana! It's been a while," the fire prince greeted.

"It's been a while, Lily!" Happy called out to his fellow exceed.

Lucy sucked in a breath sharply, her heart hammering within her chest. Did he just say Gajeel? As in _black steel Gajeel_, the prince of darkness? Long, wild hair, bolted piercings, eyes the color of blood. It was him, in the flesh. That is, if demons had any real flesh to speak of.

He must have noticed her staring, because he turned his head to face her directly. "Geehee. With that look, I bet I can guess where _you're_ from."

Levy could only smile sympathetically. The girl was so terrified she was shaking.

"This guy ain't anything to be scared of, Lucy." Natsu placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a little. The gesture stilling her shivering at once. "I'm totally stronger than him!"

"What was that, Salamander?"

"You heard me, you bag of bolts!"

"Are you trying to start a fight?"

"Hell yeah! Bring it on!"

Lucy watched on in astonishment as their impromptu spar began. Was _this _really the ruthless warlord she heard so much about in stories? She would have to tell Yukino and Lisanna when she got home.

* * *

**The Northern Empire**

If the grand duchess were known for only one thing, it would have to be her meticulous eye. She could detect the smallest of aberrations in a moment's notice. And since the arrival of the tragedy stricken sea princess, she'd been more on her guard than usual. Unfortunately, this was worse news for her younger brothers than it could ever be for the forces of darkness.

"Lyon," Ultear narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the prince upon seeing him at the end of the hall. "What the hell is that on your neck?"

He sighed. The telltale soreness near his pulse point was all he needed to know what she was talking about. _Sherry_. "There's no way you can see that from all the way down there."

"If you get that Blendy girl pregnant out of wedlock, mother will freeze you alive, and I won't save you," she chastised for the umpteenth time as she stalked over to him, inspecting the hickey with a smirk. "She really did a number on you this time, didn't she?"

Lyon ran a hand over his face tiredly. "This discussion is over. I'm leaving."

Ultear chuckled, clearly amused by his discomfort with the topic. "Why don't you just marry her, little brother? Then you two could ravage each other until all the ice melts from here to the Vale, and no one would be able say anything about it."

"I'm sure you'd still find a way," he said mirthlessly. "If you must, you can finish harassing me later. I have somewhere to be."

"Oooh, you're going to meet her now, aren't you?" The grand duchess smirked. She knew him far too well. "See if you can get her to befriend our little mermaid. Those two seem to be cut from the same cloth."

Now it was Lyon's turn to smirk. "Juvia is afraid of you, isn't she? What'd you do?"

"Nothing!" she defended. "I simply asked her a few questions and she started crying! And then it started raining. Indoors."

Lyon shook his head, trying to hide his laughter. "It can't be helped. The girl has been through a lot. Even someone like Gray makes an effort to be nice to her."

"Exactly. That's why she needs a ditzy friend to get her mind off things."

"She's not a ditz." The young Lady Blendy actually got quite philosophical when the mood struck her.

The grand duchess raised her eyebrows comically. "By the gods, you must really be in love!" she laughed.

"Goodbye, Ultear," he said dryly.

Then, with an aura of thinly veiled annoyance, the prince made his way down the corridor and up the stairs until he found himself in her suite.

She sat with her back turned away from the door, plucking masterfully at the strings of a harp. Lyon watched silently for a moment as her fingers moved dexterously along the large instrument to produce a soft, romantic melody. All too quickly, she brought the piece to a close. "Is that a lover's gaze I feel on my back?"

The prince sighed incredulously. "It could have been Chelia, for all you knew."

She stood and closed the distance between them with paced, hip-swaying steps. "Chelia doesn't stare for that long without speaking. Only you do that, my prince." She cupped his cheek in her hand. "You look irritated."

Lyon shrugged away from her touch. "You said you didn't leave any marks."

The hot pink haired young woman gave a self-satisfied smirk. "I had to let the new girl know that your love is not available to her."

The prince sighed. Something like that? She had no real reason to be jealous. "You're so juvenile."

Sherry crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Hmm...Ren Akatsuki doesn't seem to think so." His house had been trying to lure her into a marriage for months now. But it was an empty threat and they both knew it.

Lyon thought better of dignifying the comment with a real response. "You're vicious, you know? She means you no harm."

"I'm sorry, but I have no love to spare for a romantic rival." The glint of gratification in her deep blue eyes told him that she hadn't a speck of remorse.

"Speaking of princess Juvia," he began, snaking one arm around her waist. He gave the small of her back a gentle push to bring her closer to him. "How would you feel about spending some time with her? Maybe you could take her on an outing."

"Is this you asking?" Her eyelids fluttered when she felt his lips on her neck. He was returning her favor from earlier. "Or Ultear?"

"Does it matter?" His fingers massaged small circles into her back.

Sherry moaned into his kisses. "M-maybe I could find some love in my heart. I'll go to her…" she gave a breathy, shuddering sigh. "Right away."

Lyon grinned at her flustered appearance. It wasn't a part of her that most of the world had the privilege of seeing. "There's no rush."

They both knew that she wouldn't get around to the task for hours.

_Author's Notes: _Sorry for the long wait! School has been pretty demanding lately. Spring break is coming up soon, though, so I'll have more free time to write then. Thanks again for reading, everyone! Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

**The Kingdom of Celestial Lights**

Sorano sighed inwardly as Lord Brain's prattle filled the marble walls of her throneroom. She did not have to look over at them to get an image of what her sisters were doing. Mira and Yukino both wore false pleasant smiles to mask their boredom, while Lisanna drummed her fingertips against her wooden armrest in a passive-aggressive way of telling him to get on with it.

"...so you see, much of the nobility has come to see your tax reforms as, well, problematic. If you'd only return to your father's economic model, raising the tribute for the peasant and merchant classes and lowering it for the gentry, we'd-"

Sorano interrupted his speech with a sharp amber eyed glower. "In case you and your playmates haven't noticed, Lord Brain, we are at war. The army is drafted from the peasant class, and they'll stand a better chance at winning if they aren't malnourished. You could stand to hold off on building your next marble staircases until after our borders are secure."

The royal advisor did all he could not to visibly twitch with irritation. Here he was, a seasoned general, taking orders from a petulant child. How far had the old ways fallen? "Your majesty," he said through gritted teeth, "you ought to mind your words, lest you alienate yourself from the nobility."

Sorano nearly snorted at this. "With very few exceptions, I do not trust the nobility. Nor am I in any particular need of their love." They had no loyalty. They would as easily slit your throat as they'd wine, dine, wed, and bed you if it brought them a step closer to the throne.

"Your personal preferences aside, my queen, the lords sworn to you-"

"Houses Lates, Blendy, Lilica, Neekis, and Tearm all swore their fealty to my father's kingdom, broke bread with him, paid tribute to his house for generations. And where are they all now? Ah, yes, prancing around in the northern court, trying to sell their offspring to Ur's children." Her lips curled into an imperious smirk. "But I assume your knowledge of this subject far exceeds my own, Lord Brain."

The man sighed deeply. At one point he would have sliced off his right arm to marry his son Macbeth to Lucien's firstborn, but now he wouldn't wish that fate upon his worst enemy. "What shall I tell them at our next meeting, your majesty?"

"Tell them," Sorano began, "that they can expect a permanent return to the economic system of my mother's ancestors, and that I won't rule a kingdom of starving degenerates while The Land of the Dark has a public library in each of its villages." Although, admittedly, that was mostly because of an initiative started by House Cheney and House McGarden.

"Very well. Will that be all?"

"Yes. You may go now." Sorano was glad for the break, as she was beginning to feel that familiar sensation of her chest being split open from the inside. The mages in the dark army were beginning to destroy her angels. She only had to make it to her rooms before it got too unbearable.

"Doesn't he ever grow tired of being proven wrong?" Lisanna wondered aloud.

"Some people are just set in their ways," Mira replied with a small shake of her head. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been adjusting from the norms of father's old kingdom to those here."

"I couldn't either," Yukino agreed. "If we're not seeing anyone else this afternoon, should we all have tea in the rose garden?"

Before anyone else could answer, Lord Byro scrambled into the throne room. "Your majesty-"

"We aren't hearing anyone else today." Sorano tried to keep her voice steady despite the searing pain she was enduring. "Unless it is a matter of the utmost importance, whatever you have to say can wait until tomorrow."

"A raven just arrived bearing a scroll marked with sigil of House Cheney." He pulled the parchment out of his robes.

The young monarch sighed. So much for sleeping off her misery. "What does it say?"

"The parchment is blank, your majesty."

"Bring it to me." The queen studied the scroll for a few seconds. "Blood magic," she decided almost immediately. "Mira, lend me your claw."

Wordlessly, the princess did a one-arm takeover spell and pricked her sister's index finger with her insanely sharp demon nail. A single drop of deep crimson blood fell onto the parchment, and immediately words in a neat cursive handwriting materialized on the page.

"To Her Majesty, Queen Sorano of the Kingdom of Celestial Lights," she began to read aloud.

_Although we stand on different sides of a great conflict, I wish to congratulate you, as it is a victory for all of womankind whenever one of us has the opportunity to rule in her own right. If the dark throne were mine alone, an innumerable amount of things would have been handled differently. I believe your noble mother would have shared this sentiment prior to her most unfortunate passing…_

Sorano sighed impatiently, scanning the page for the moment where the feigned solidarity and pleasantries ceased. "Ahh...there we are."

_...I would like to propose a match between my son, Ryos, and one of your younger sisters. __I anticipate your apprehension, but I wish to assure you that Ryos is quite different from his father and brother. I have taken great pains to ensure that he was raised in the erudite and compassionate tradition of my house of birth. __After much deliberation, I've found that this would be the most humane way to permanently end the strife between our kingdoms. We await your speedy response._

The queen shook her head. "Well, that was a colossal waste of our time. I see they're getting desperate now that their older son is working against them. As if I'd ever let those barbarians anywhere near one of you. Just the thought of it makes me want to-"

"Sorano," Yukino began hesitantly. "I think there is some wisdom to what Queen Nyx has to say. Even if we are victorious now, the fighting will only continue when they build up their strength again. If it could bring an end to all this bloodshed, I'm willing to at least meet with this Prince Ryos."

"Lord Byro, please leave us." Sorano's eyes softened as she looked upon what some might call her favorite sister. She could not imagine what that dark, depraved place would do to her warm and gentle disposition. "Yukino, that is not a sacrifice you have to make. You are not a bargaining chip."

"I do not intend to be," the princess contended. "I will not agree to marry him, only to meet him. If I get the sense that he is not a good person, or that he'll hurt me, we can end things right then. But I do think we should try to end this conflict peacefully."

"If anyone has to do this, it should be me," Mirajane piped up. After all, she was the eldest after Sorano.

"But then we'd be at war with Sir Laxus," Lisanna said only half jokingly.

"It's true," Yukino added. "The Dreyars are one of the few noble families we can really trust. We shouldn't risk damaging our relationship with them."

"Laxus isn't that petty," Mira offered.

"Yes he is, Mira," the youngest princess declared. "And while we're on the topic of blond dragon slayers, doesn't Yukino have one, too? I mean, Sting's not as scary as Laxus, but..."

She shook her head, her face flushed."I...I'm sure he doesn't think of me in that way."

Mira and Lisanna exchanged a look at this. As perceptive as she was, Yukino's habitual self-depreciation often prevented her from noticing certain things.

Sorano discreetly started rubbing at her chest. It felt like someone had taken a cleaver to her lungs. "I _might_ write her back. We'll discuss it more later. Now, I have other matters to attend to." With that she took her leave.

"What was that about?" Mira wondered aloud. It wasn't like her to dart out that way. Her movements were usually more deliberate. Imposing.

"Who knows?" Yukino's brow furrowed in concern for a brief moment, but then she shook her head. It was probably nothing. "Let's go to tea."

**The Northern Empire**

Ur sat in one of her staterooms holding a private meeting with her most trusted advisers to deliberate over what should be done about the situation in the Sea Kingdom.

Ultear sighed. The story kept growing sadder and sadder. "Meredy tells me she still thinks that Prince Gajeel will help her take back her kingdom."

"But that parfum seems to have gone foul," Lord Ichiya informed. "My spy in the Land of the Dark reports that the prince and his dragon have turned against King Erebus, men."

"It is also safe to assume that the young celestial queen won't interfere either," Sir Jura pointed out.

"It's never safe to assume anything," Ur pointed out. "But I believe you are right, Sir Jura. We are currently the only land with a large enough military force to deal with the usurper, if he is in fact backed by Zeref."

"There are many advantages to having a maritime colony," Lord Hades pointed out, eyeing the world map with lust.

"Colony is such an ugly word," Ur lamented. "Why breed resentment, and suspicion from the other kingdoms unnecessarily? If the sea princess were to marry Gray or Lyon, our interference could be construed as nothing more than a housewarming present."

Ultear shook her head, quite amused. If Gray had any idea what their mother was thinking, he wouldn't like it. Not one bit. "If at all possible, we should let things progress naturally between them. Gray will resist if he feels like she's being forced on him."

"Gray is the one who found her," the empress recalled. "And he may be fond of her. But Lyon tends to be more receptive to these matters."

"That would also be a most pleasant parfum for House Akatsuki," Ichiya added. It was known to all that Prince Lyon was the sole obstacle in the way of Ren's courting of the young Lady Blendy.

"The Solstice Ball will be upon us shortly." Ur shot her daughter a knowing glance. Despite what Ichiya and his political allies wanted, it was painstakingly obvious that Lyon and Sherry would wed someday, save for some act of unfathomable stupidity on his part. "Work on Gray."

The crown princess sighed inwardly. That would be much easier said than done.

* * *

"Princess?" Meredy knocked lightly on Juvia's door, in case she wasn't awake yet. She tended to stay within the confines of her room and often slept during the day.

"Come in." Juvia sat at her writing desk with a quill and parchment, crafting yet another letter to her best friend who just so happened to be extremely skilled at warfare. "Meredy, has any word come from the Land of the Dark?" It wasn't like Gajeel to not respond for such a long time.

"I'm afraid not." She shook her head slightly, before bringing a pink, rose scented piece of parchment to the sea princess. "But the young Lady Blendy has invited you for afternoon tea in her suite."

"House Blendy…" Juvia bit her lip, trying to recall her childhood lessons on the noble houses in different kingdoms. "Juvia knows this…she does...no, she doesn't."

"They preside over the southwestern province of Brago from Castle Lovelock, and are very close to the royal family," Meredy explained with a smile. As Ultear's lady-in-waiting she knew the ins and outs of all the nobility. "Lady Sherry is in age with you, I believe."

"But, why does she wish to talk to Juvia?"

Meredy looked away guiltily. She knew the exact answer to that question, but thought it better not to share. "Well, I suppose, since you spend so much time alone, people would like to get to know you."

"Is the lady a nice person?"

"Well that depends," she said with a hint of a smirk, "on whether or not you've set your sights on Prince Lyon. But since you seem to prefer Prince Gray, I think you two will get along quite nicely."

Juvia nodded, absorbing it all as she walked to her wardrobe to select something suitable to wear.

When the sea princess reached her drawing room, Lady Sherry was standing on a small platform having her measurements taken by a team of dressmakers.

"H-has Juvia come at a bad time?"

"Not at all, love." Sherry replied with a wink. "I'm just getting my gowns ready for Solstice. I thought, perhaps, you'd let my tailors dress you as well."

"Juvia would be honored," she replied immediately, remembering what her late mother told her about how northern women prized their fashion.

As soon as the words left her lips, a young woman hastily presented Juvia with a book of color swatches. The young royal turned each page with an increased sense of anxiety. She had spent her entire life by the sea but never once thought there could be so many shades of blue. "We dress quite differently in Juvia's land. What does Lady Sherry think would suit me?"

The Lady Blendy grinned. "Blues and purples suit your natural colorings. Amethyst for the tournament, I think, and indigo for the concert, and as for the ball..." She paused, humming thoughtfully. "My sources tell me that Prince Gray will be wearing a midnight blue tunic, if you wish to match him...are you getting all of this down, Lucinda?"

"Yes, Milady," one of the girls replied as she scribbled furiously onto a notepad.

Juvia lowered her eyes, trying to fight down a blush. "Isn't matching at social events something only established couples do?"

"What makes a couple anyway?" Sherry stepped down from her platform and walked over to Juvia. "It's just two people who care for each other, right?"

"Juvia supposes so."

"I think you and Gray have at least that kind of _love_. He saved you, didn't he?"

"Well, yes," the sea princess sighed. "But Juvia believes Prince Gray is just a good person. He would have done the same for anyone." That was part of what made him so gallant, in her eyes at least.

"You're probably right," Sherry allowed. "But it wasn't just anyone. It was you, Juvia, and he appeared right when you needed him can be a strange thing, especially around Solstice time." The Lady Blendy laughed after noticing the girl's blank expression. "Oh, you wouldn't know the story, would you?"

"What story?"

"Of how the empire was born. I have to warn you, it's a bit cheesy, but one hundred percent true."

The sea princess smiled. "Juvia doesn't mind at all." Truthfully, she was happy for the distraction.

"You see, the peoples of the north have celebrated winter solstice since the time before dragons danced in the skies of Ishgar. Before the ten year's war, royalty from all over the world would start spilling in each December, and often they wouldn't leave until after the new year. My grandmother always tells me about it." They drifted towards the plush guest futons and the servants brought them tea in artfully painted cups and an assortment of cakes.

Juvia nodded, blowing on the steaming liquid in her cup to cool it. "My…" She looked down. It was still difficult to talk about them sometimes. "My parents used to frequent Veterstark before we…" But it was just her now. "I...Juvia was born."

Sherry simply clasped the princess's hand, sensing that she did not want to talk about it, and continued with her story. "It's funny that you mention Veterstark, since that's where the festivities were held before everything changed twenty-five years ago. House Strauss was pretty well loved back then, and they made everything extravagant to celebrate their Prince Lucien's engagement to Princess Ur."

"The empress?"

"The one and only. But then love decided to have its way." The young Lady Blendy sighed contentedly, as though she were retelling fond memories from her own past. "During the tournament, a southern princess challenged Suzanne Lilica to a duel for the zodiac key, Aries."

"Ladies were permitted to do battle during the tournaments?" The Veterstark she learned about was incredibly patriarchal.

Sherry shrugged. "I suppose they weren't, but none actually tried until Alina Aguria. The king protested, but Lucien convinced his father to let the fight occur. They say he loved her at first sight and proposed marriage at the Solstice ball in front of all the world's nobility."

Juvia gasped. "And Ur was jealous?" Was _that_ what started the infamous ten year's war?

"Not in the slightest," the lady laughed, nibbling on a chocolate eclair. "It gave her just the excuse she needed to break her engagement to him. And besides, Princess Alina refused his suit."

"No way! But, Juvia thought they were married." She remembered at least that much from her lessons.

"That was much later," she informed. "The princess said that she found him in no way lacking, but her heart belonged to another."

"Juvia has to know who!" For the first time in a while the romantic part of her brain was fully activated.

Sherry gave a conspiratorial smirk. "If you repeat this to a southerner, you'll get a fist to the face, but up here they say it was a woman. One Layla Heartfilia."

"Juvia though that was just something Gajeel's father says to be nasty."

"It's the truth. And Lucien's blunder allowed Ur to legitimize her relationship with Sir Silver of House Fullbuster."

"Sir?" Juvia repeated. Not Lord? "But knights can't marry royalty." In the Sea Kingdom, maybe it could happen, and definitely in the Flame, but the north had always been especially hierarchical.

"Most cannot. But most knights are not ice demon slayers."

Juvia's eyes widened as the pieces began falling into place. "Those in House Strauss with the strongest take-over magic transform into demons. He learned lost magic to battle Prince Lucien and...and...this is the most romantic thing Juvia has ever heard!"

"He had no kingdom to give her, so instead he forged an empire! It's the greatest display of true love imaginable!" She then shook her head, sullenly. "If only the late emperor had passed those genes on to his sons." If he had, she would probably be married by now.

"Juvia gets the feeling that she will soon know what you're talking about."

Oh, you will."

The two spent the rest of the daylight hours deciding on the fabrics, styles, and embellishments of their gowns for Solstice and passionately discussing their philosophies of romantic love.

Late that night the sea princess walked back towards her rooms humming, and envisioning grand romantic gestures.

"You seem to be in a good mood today."

Juvia did a double take when his voice interrupted her musings. "Prince Gray!" She hadn't been expecting to see him that night. And why, why was he shirtless? Would this be the night when they finally went all the way? She shook her head furiously, trying to keep the onslaught of fantasies at bay.

Gray leaned down to look at her more closely. Her face was turning inhumanly red. "Are you still running a fever or something?" She'd been bedridden for the first week and a half after he found her at the mouth of the eastern sea.

"No, Juvia is fine," she assured, as she turned redder still. "Just wondering why Prince Gray is only in his trousers."

"Again!" He looked down, dismayed. "I was just sparring with Lyon, so…"

The sea princess scrunched up her nose in confusion. "Is it customary to fight while unclothed here? This is something to keep in mind in case-"

"No!" he clarified a bit too quickly. Here he was, making a fool of himself in front of foreign royalty. "It's just a habit I picked up when I was a kid."

At this she chuckled a bit, smiling with her deep blue eyes. "I see."

"Never mind that. What have you been up to, lately?"

"I spent most of the day with Lady Sherry preparing for Solstice." She tucked a few strands of blue hair behind her left ear.

"That's some timing." Gray was surprised that she didn't run into Lyon on her way out. "Anyway, I hope you have fun. See you around."

"Wait!" the water mage called after him.

He turned to face her. "What's up?"

She stared at her shoes and balled her hands into tight fists, fidgeting incessantly. "J-Juvia will…"

"Come again?"

"JUVIA WILL WEAR A MIDNIGHT BLUE GOWN TO THE SOLSTICE BALL!" She gazed up at him expectantly, wondering how he'd react to such a bold confession on her part.

The prince looked at her, confused. "That's...nice. I'm sure it'll look good on you." He squeezed her shoulder lightly, before continuing in the direction he was originally headed in. "Night, Juvia."

"Goodnight." Her heart hammered furiously beneath her rib cage. "My prince," she whispered softly after he was gone.

As soon as the magic of his touch wore off, it occurred to Juvia that he did not at all process the meaning of her midnight blue ballgown.

"Juvia is frustrated!" And it seemed like she would be for quite some time.

**The Sea Kingdom **

Jiemma Orlando ultimately decided not to kill his daughter, although he did consider it several times. Instead he confined her to the dungeons, not to see the light of day until he found some prince or high lord from a strong enough bloodline to put a child in her and secure the line of succession. But that was only if he didn't produce a suitable heir himself.

"Please, King Jiemma, tell us more about the Dark Lord Zeref's power." The scantily clad concubine had scarlet colored hair that flowed down her back. She refilled his goblet with a stronger wine than what was customary for midday drinking. "Although it is nothing in comparison with your own."

He gazed unashamedly at her cleavage while drinking. "Alright. If you insist. What was your name again, girl?"

"Erz…" She was stopped by a sharp glance from the dark haired young woman who cooled the usurper with an oversized fan. "Ursula, your majesty."

"Ursula?" Jiemma narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and the swordswoman prepared herself to instantly requip if need be. "You're not from _down there_, are you?" He'd told his adviser to bring beautiful women from all the lands to his harem, but specifically demanded that there were no mermaids among them. "Because I don't care for fish."

Erza had to bite down on her tongue to keep from questioning who, exactly, 'cared' for whatever he was. It was a miracle and a half that he ever found someone to reproduce with. "I am not a mermaid, your majesty. Just a humble servant with an interest in power. Please, do tell me more about Zeref."

Jiemma snorted. "So that's what makes you hot?" Oh, if only he knew how her blood was boiling. "You're far more interesting than the ones before. Well, it all starts with the Books of Zeref, which are…"

"Why didn't we slit his throat?" Kagura questioned later as they made their way through the winding halls of the water palace. They were supposed to return to the harem den and await the king's arrival, but instead they were headed straight for the dungeons.

Erza tried to physically shake the murderous thoughts from her mind. "There are many people who deserve that kill far more than we do." She quickly requipped out of her seductive robes and back into her armor. "At least now we know a bit about what they're planning."

Kagura eyed her lifelong friend with envy. How she longed to be back in her regular clothes. "Are you sure we should even be doing this?" she whispered after Erza kicked down the locked door leading to the prison cells. "We don't even know if she'll join us. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know."

"It must have fallen far enough, if she's down there. She's also powerful. We could use her on our side."

Minerva's cell was on the very lowest floor of the complex. Erza and Kagura heard the sound of rushing water as they approached it. Kagura huffed when her sandal clad feet began to get wet.

"Who goes there?" One of the two guards keeping watch demanded. Erza summoned twin swords and silenced them both deftly. Not to kill. Never to kill. But they would be out until long after they were gone.

A slow, mirthless laugh sounded from the other side of the bars. "And those were some of father's best men."

Kagura reached for her archenemy sword, which was strapped to her outer thigh and hidden beneath her long purple skirt. "We plan to fight against the forces of the dark wizard. If we release you, will you join our cause?"

She glanced up at them curiously. Her eyes were red-rimmed and betrayed her brokenness despite the confidence she attempted to exude. "It's useless. Acnologia cannot be stopped."

The other two young women exchanged a knowing look. Erza smirked before summoning her finest blade to cut Minerva loose of her chains.

"You've obviously never met the king of dragons."

**Author's Notes: **This update is really, REALLY late and I am so sorry. The combined forces of coursework and writer's block have had their way with me this semester. Anyway, this chapter was mostly politics and background information (necessarily so). The next chapter, if I stick to my outline, will be more focused on romance (Gajevy, Nalu, and Stingyu moments for sure). However, I'm also tempted to stay in The Northern Empire for the entire chapter and hammer out all of the Solstice festival scenes (there'd still romance, mostly Gruvia and some Sherryon drama). What would you guys prefer?

Thanks for reading, everyone!


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six **

**The Sky Kingdoms**

The rulers of The Sky Kingdoms made their home on the peaks of the highest mountains where the air was thin but sweet with magic and the dewy droplets of paradise. Since their forming, the realms of the sky gods and dragons housed very few humans, and their number dwindled even further in recent years.

Grandeeny always told her it was because most humans favored war over healing, and sought the teachings of dragons who wielded only destruction magic. Most days, Wendy believed her. But on some mornings, when the sky was clear and she looked down from the clouds and saw families having picnics on the lower hills, she liked to imagine that the human kingdoms could be beautiful.

"What are you daydreaming about, Wendy?" her exceed Carla asked when she found her in the magic library on one such morning. "You're supposed to be studying Milky Way."

She sighed at the mention of the spell. She had been training as a dragon slayer since before she could walk, but never had such great difficulty mastering a single technique. "Sorry Carla. I suppose I'm just distracted thinking about what to get Chelia as a going away present."

"Oh yeah," the exceed recalled with a small frown. Chelia Blendy had been handpicked by the sky gods to become their student, and was the only human around Wendy's age in the land. However, since she came from a great family in her kingdom of origin, she only stayed for a few months at a time. "Are you going to be alright for the next few weeks?"

"Of course." She responded just a bit too quickly for it to be true. "I hope she has fun."

Just then, the god slayer in question bounded into the library, holding up loose sheets of parchment like trophies.

"I thought I saw an eagle this morning," Wendy said with a smile. Even they wouldn't fly as high as their domain without a good cause. "Who are they from?"

"My sister, Sherry," she explained. "This time she wrote about how she made friends with the princess of the sea, who is pining after the_ love_ Prince Gray."

"I thought your sister was, too," Carla prompted. The exceed couldn't understand why romance intrigued them so much.

"No Carla," Wendy laughed. "The Lady Sherry is in love with Prince Lyon. Prince Gray is his younger brother, right?"

"That's right," the youngest Blendy affirmed. She sat upon Wendy's table in the library, pushing her books aside. "It sounds confusing now, but it'll make more sense when you meet them. They look nothing alike, honestly, although Sherry says they act just the same. I but I guess that's just brotherly_ love._ She also sent sketches of our gowns for Solstice. You'll just love the designs for yours."

"Mine?" Wendy looked up at her, perplexed. A raw kind of excitement was brewing within her, but she would not allow it to take hold until she was certain.

"Of course. There are some pieces for Carla, too." Chelia nearly slapped herself. "I completely forgot! Grandeeny meant to surprise you. I asked her weeks ago if you could come with me and she said yes."

"She did?"

"Yes! It's going to be great!" Chelia grabbed her friend's hand and started leading her toward the doorway. "Let's start packing your things. We leave tomorrow."

**The Flame Kingdom **

The sun had just begun to rear its red-orange head over the eastern mountains when Gajeel and Metalicana were preparing to leave on their journey. And of course, in the very spirit of the Flame Kingdom, there was a great celebration to see them off complete with torches, dances, and gifts in abundance.

"Safe travels!" Lucy shouted, as she threw flower petals along with the rest of the noblewomen. Once she moved past her initial fear of the iron dragon slayer, they had gotten along quite well—except for one instance of being coerced into being a backup dancer for his karaoke routine.

"Better not lose to your pops, bolts for brains!" Natsu called.

"Geehee." Gajeel nodded. "That's not even a possibility."

"I don't know," Igneel chimed in with a smirk. "Metalicana might have lost his edge after all these years."

The iron dragon's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits at this. "I don't wanna hear that from someone who sits around in a palace all day."

Despite the jubilant mood of the occasion, Levy's stance was somber. Noticing her crestfallen expression, Lucy gently nudged her new friend forward.

"G-Gajeel, I-"

"Don't make that face, shrimp." He placed his hand on the top of her head and patted it with feigned condescension, earning a scowl from girl. Couldn't he just hug her like a normal person? "I'll see ya soon."

"Where to, now?" the iron dragon questioned.

"The north," Gajeel replied almost immediately. He had to make sure Juvia was in good hands before anything else.

"What great timing," Atlas Flame, another noble dragon in Igneel's court pointed out. "Isn't that big party of theirs coming up soon?"

Happy's ears perked up at this. "What party, Lucy?" By now the exceed knew the Lady Heartfilia to be a more reliable source of information than Natsu ever was.

"The Winter Solstice Festival," the blonde gushed. Whenever her mother said _anything _that even remotely concerned the north, this celebration was sure to come up in the conversation. "There are tournaments, and concerts, and feasts!" She'd always wanted to go.

"Oh, and the dances!" Levy added. "It's said that the northern royals give the most extravagant parties in the world."

This, Natsu couldn't take lying down. "I bet it's not even that good," he said with a deadpan expression.

"Natsu's petty," Happy chimed in. Lucy chuckled softly. Indeed he was.

"Why don't you go see for yourself?" Atlas suggested. "All you young people should be where the action is." After all, on the back of a dragon they could circle the globe in three days.

Igneel nodded in agreement. "It'll be a good opportunity to check out the competition. Besides," his voice lowered a tad. The dragon king knew just how to change his stubborn son's mind. "I've been hearing that those ice princes are the strongest on their side of the world."

"And the best looking," Lucy whispered into Levy's ear. The script mage laughed and nodded her head. Every eligible bachelorette in the world must have heard the tales of the gorgeous northern princes who could seldom keep their shirts on.

"Luce," the fire prince turned to the blonde suddenly. "You said there were tournaments, right?"

"Yup."

Natsu and Gajeel exchanged a glance. Both dragon slayers were always itching for a good fight. "Geehee. Well, I was heading up there anyway. Get to packing shrimp."

"Still with that nickname," she sighed, even as she raked her mental archives for things she could possibly wear.

"Salamander and bunny girl, quit standing around making eyes at each other. We're burning daylight here!"

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

**The Northern Empire **

In the back room of a small apothecary shop on the fringes of the royal city, a young woman with dark purple hair slaved over batch after batch of one of her trademark potions. Every year at Solstice time, the demand for it grew greater.

"Kinana!" The shop owner poked his head through the red curtain that separated her lab from the store. "I just got thirteen more orders for your birth control drug. They're all to be sent to different suites in the ice palace."

The poison mage heaved an exasperated sigh before tossing a sprig of black cohosh into her cauldron. Had someone asked her a decade ago how she'd end up making her fortune, she never would have imagined it would be off the illicit trysts of the ruling classes. She would have left this place and its shallow splendor behind years ago if not for the hope that someday _he_ would show up to partake in the festivities.

After they'd been separated by the Rosemary Village Massacre, Kinana hadn't seen her childhood sweetheart once, or heard a word of his whereabouts. She had no way of knowing if he wanted to see her again, or if he'd even survived, but her small flicker of hope burned steadfastly. She couldn't help but believe that one day the heavens would part for them, as they had for Ur and Silver all those years ago. They'd hold hands and watch the northern lights bend and sway magnificently across the horizon like all the couples whose bliss she spent her days working for.

"Kinana! Stop daydreaming! We've got orders to fill, and only a few days to fill 'em!"

"Yes, yes, I'm coming."

She only wished that someday would come a bit sooner.

* * *

On the first morning of Solstice, Lady Sherry Blendy emerged from her bathing room wearing only a red silk robe. She smiled upon seeing the silver haired prince at her desk, looking over some official documents. "You didn't have to stay, you know." She'd half expected him to be gone by the time she was finished soaking.

Lyon only shrugged. Although she never said anything, he knew how much it bothered her when he left before she woke up. Sherry picked a small crystal bottle off the table and uncapped it.

"What is that?" He gazed at the little mauve vial questioningly.

Sherry chuckled after tossing the dose back like a shot of whiskey. "A potion," she explained before taking a seat in his lap. "And the reason we don't have four children by now."

The prince could feel her body heat through the thin robe, and her aster and bergamot scent quickly took charge of his senses. "Will you still be able to someday?" he asked offhandedly. "Have children, I mean."

She turned around, smirking impishly. "It's not like you to ask something like that, Lyon."

"Just a question."

Sherry made a small, thoroughly unconvinced sound in response before turning her attention to the documents on the table. "War plans?" she sighed. "There's so little _love_ in the world these days."

"We might be taking back the Sea Kingdom," he explained. "But don't say anything to Juvia yet."

Sherry studied the maps carefully. "If you send imperial navy ships straight in, they'll put cannonballs in the fleet before they even reach the beaches."

"Ultear's magic would be able to restore them."

"Not all of them," the lady countered. They both knew it was true.

"What would you suggest, then?" He could hear the smugness that came with a brilliant plan in her voice.

"Well," she began "I would hide my men below the decks of Gildarts Clive's ships. He trades in the Sea often. Keeping the economy stable is important to a new ruler. They'll let him in without hesitation."

The plan was nearly flawless. However, there was one problem. "As much as they love royal gold, the pirates don't get involved with political struggles." They served no lords and bent their knees to no kings, or empresses for that matter.

"That's_ usually _true," Sherry drawled. "But Gildarts Clive is indebted to Chelia." It was the young sky god slayer who healed him after his most unfortunate encounter with Acnologia. "His men will sail for House Blendy if I ask it. It's a matter of love."

Lyon kissed the exposed patch of skin between her neck and shoulder. "You're brilliant."

It took all of Sherry's effort to keep from swooning. "I'm also late." She stood, running her fingers through her mass of fuschia locks. "I'll never be ready in time if I don't start now."

The prince glanced at her incredulously. "Nothing's starting for another four hours, at least."

"Exactly. I'm already fifteen minutes behind," she said, padding out into her drawing room where the handmaidens waited. "Ashley, Lucinda, let's get this show on the road! Juvia should be here in a half hour, get her dress out too."

Even while scurrying about to complete their duties, the two girls blushed furiously when they caught sight of the shirtless prince.

"I guess I'm being kicked out," he noted.

"With _love_." She winked. Dressing to kill took time.

Just then another maid came in bearing an enormous arrangement of red roses and baby's breath. "Lady Blendy!" she exclaimed, her vision blocked by the lush mass of flowers. "These just came from the courier! Lord Akatsuki sends them! He-"

"Mary!" Lucinda hissed at her.

Unfazed by the unfortunately timed delivery, Sherry plucked the small notecard from inside of the bouquet.

"Dear Sherry," She read the greeting aloud. "It's not like these made me think of you or anything. Happy Solstice. Ren of House Akatsuki."

"An idiot through and through," Lyon commented.

"At least he sends flowers," she quipped, before the door to her suite opened once again.

"I'm back!" Chelia exclaimed as she entered, with her best friend following from a safe distance. "And of course Lyon's here," she teased knowingly.

"I was just leaving," the prince explained. "It's good to see you again, Chelia. And your friend…"

"Wendy Marvell, your highness," she said shyly.

"Welcome to the north, Wendy. "

"You're here early," the older Blendy noted once he was gone. She tried to adjust the collar of her robe to hide any evidence of the night before. "You wrote that you would go to Castle Lovelock first."

"We did, but Wendy's dragon gave us a ride, so that cut the time in half," the young god slayer explained. "And it's lucky that she did. It sounds like we just saved you from a lover's quarrel."

Sherry rolled her eyes at this. Men were fools about matters of the heart. "That's nothing for you to worry about," she assured. "Now let's get your jewelry settled. Wendy, darling, how do you feel about emeralds?"

**The Kingdom of Celestial Lights**

Over the course of a few weeks, the continued correspondence between Sorano and Queen Nyx of the Land of the Dark produced an agreement. In three day's time, Yukino was to meet with Prince Ryos at the summer palace in Hargeon.

While she had advocated for the meeting, and whatever treaty or union stemmed from it, the princess could not shake the feeling of trepidation that grew stronger as the hours ticked by. She glanced at her neatly packed travel trunks with a sigh before stepping out onto her balcony. Under the mid-afternoon sun, the forest did not seem as enchanted as it did by moonlight, but the kingdom was surely alive. The sounds of village chatter, and the wafting scent of baking bread renewed her resolve to make a sacrifice for her people—for her family—and she became that much surer that her hesitation stemmed from selfish desires.

"Hey, Yukino," Sting called to her from outside.

She looked down into his electric blue eyes from over the balcony and smiled. She could tell from his expression that he was plotting something that would probably get her into huge trouble. "Which rules will we be breaking today?"

"Depends on how fast you can get a bag together," the blond dragon slayer confided.

"Already packed," she said, thinking of the trunks filled with her finest gowns and most precious jewelry. "What's going on?" she questioned.

"We're hitching a dragon ride to the Northern Empire," Lector exclaimed without preamble.

"What?"

"A group is on their way there now," Sting explained. "Your friend Lucy is with them. Weisslogia is chatting with the dragon now, but he can only stall them for so long. It's now or never."

Yukino sighed."No member of my family has set foot in the north since before the ten year's war."

"Which ended over two decades ago," he countered. "And besides, I'll keep you safe."

The celestial spirit mage shook her head. It was a terrible idea and she knew it, but if she was going to sacrifice her desires for the greater good, she would give herself one last chance to drown in them. "I have to be back in three days," she said lamely.

"Not a problem." Then he flashed her that overconfident grin that never failed to disarm her. "I'll come up and get your bags."

"No need for that." She reached for her celestial gate keys. "Open, Gate of the Scales: Libra!"

"What do you require, Princess Yukino?" the ever formal spirit questioned.

"Can you minimize the gravity of these two trunks," she stopped to point out the ones she wanted, "and lower them?"

"Of course."

As Libra handled the luggage, Yukino slipped out of her shoes and started climbing down the castle wall.

"So that's how you do it," the dragon slayer remarked. He'd always wondered how she managed to meet with him after midnight.

"The ivy on the wall makes a great foothold," she explained. When she got down, she dusted her hands off on her skirts and tested one of the suitcases. Thank's to Libra's handiwork it was still virtually weightless. "How much time do you think we have?"

"Not much."

With that, the usually reserved princess grinned with an unprecedented glint of mischief in her eyes. Then she started running barefoot toward the forest with the trunk floating behind her. "Then you should hurry if you don't want to get left behind."

"Do you even know where you're going, Yukino?"

"Nope," she called behind her. "But Lector will tell me. Right?"

Just then the exceed up to Yukino's shoulder. "Yup. I'll lead the way."

"Traitor." Sting shook his head before bolting after them, half shocked that she agreed to coming and more than impressed by how fast she could run.

"Took you long enough," Natsu complained when they reached the group at the center of the forest.

"We better not have missed any of the fights," Gajeel said offhandedly. He had been averse to stopping in this kingdom at all. Lucy and Levy rolled their eyes simultaneously, before the Heartfilia duchess ran toward the princess.

"Yukino!" Lucy pulled her into a hug. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too," the princess laughed. "But what are you doing here? I thought you were in the Flame Kingdom."

"I was. But then Igneel," she paused upon seeing her friend's confused expression, "I mean the king of the Flame suggested that we attend the Solstice Festival. Speaking of which…" Lucy turned toward the pink haired dragon slayer. Now she would truly get to play the part of royal emissary. "Princess Yukino of the Kingdom of Celestial Lights, I'd like you to meet Prince Natsu of the Flame Kingdom."

At this Yukino gave a deep curtsy, smiling shyly and deeply regretting her decision to forgo wearing shoes. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Natsu."

"Just Natsu," he corrected. "Nice to meet ya' Yukino. Luce never stops talking about you."

The princess raised her eyebrows fractionally as she turned her gaze back to her friend. They had a lot of catching up to do.

Blushing at the obvious assumptions in her eyes, Lucy opted to lead the conversation elsewhere, "I'd also like you to meet Prince Gajeel and Lady Levy-"

"King Gajeel," Pantherlily corrected.

"He's not king yet, Lily," Happy pointed out.

"Well, whatever the title may be," Yukino said with smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you both as well."

"Not scared?" the iron dragon slayer noted as he recalled the way Lucy shivered the first time she saw him.

Yukino only sighed. "If you wanted to kill me, I doubt that there's very much I or anyone else here could say to prevent you from doing so." And though she didn't say it, she doubted that Sting would put her in harm's way. "For now I'll assume that you just want to get to the North before the tournaments start."

"I like her," Levy whispered to Lucy.

"Geehee. At least someone gets it." Gajeel thought to himself that this one was far too smart to be Sting's lady friend.

"Is this everyone we were waiting on?" Metalicanna questioned.

"Maybe we should go get Lisanna," Lucy offered.

"I'm sneaking out as it is," Yukino said, although she left a note for Mirajane.

"Well, if there's no further ado, we should probably get going," Levy climbed into the dragon's outstretched hand. "From what I've read, if the northern royals are anything they're punctual to a fault."

**The Northern Empire**

When the frozen gates were opened, revealing the splendor of the ice palace and its inhabitants to the outside world, the holiday truly began.

Princess Juvia, along with the rest of the nobility, stood outside in the courtyard nibbling on sweets and drinking hot cider.

"S-Sherry," the sea princess managed through her chattering teeth. "Know that Juvia means this as respectfully as possible, but aren't g-garden parties supposed to happen during warm weather?"

"It's never warm here," Chelia interjected before her sister could respond. "It's because of love."

"Juvia is confused," she admitted. Though she had no clue what she was saying, the water mage was amazed at how alike the two sisters were.

"You'll melt your brain trying make sense of it," Carla confided.

"Carla." Wendy shook her head. Her feline friend could be so critical. "Perhaps this isn't really cold for this part of the world. Temperature is relative."

"No, it's freezing," Sherry said with a laugh. "Everyone is out here to watch the arrivals because they provide clues about the wealth and power of other houses and kingdoms."

"Really?" Wendy asked allowed.

"Of course." Chelia discreetly pointed her embroidered fan at the next carriage to stop in front of the frozen gates. "Look. Here comes Lady Suzanne and Lady Karen of House Lilica. It's obvious that their family has been struggling."

The sky dragon slayer looked closely, trying to suss out any telltale signs of squalor. From what she saw their carriage and gowns looked exquisite. "How do you know?"

At this Juvia leaned forward, clearly deep in thought. "They mean to distract onlookers with their finery so they won't notice how little they actually brought and how few ladies attend them." Such ploys were common in the Sea Kingdom as well. "Juvia thinks that this next house must be quite influential."

"Yes, that's House Lates. They're the second wealthiest family in the empire. The first being House Blendy of course."

Things continued on this way for the better part of an hour, enjoyable but rather uneventful. But just as everyone began moving into the arena for the start of the tournaments, a group of royals and nobles dressed to the nines arrived on the back of a metal plated dragon.

"Introducing," a woman with wavy, dark brown hair began. "Prince Natsu of the Flame Kingdom, Princess Yukino, her escort Lord Sting and Lady Lucy of the Kingdom of Celestial Lights, _King _Gajeel and Lady Levy of the Land of the Dark-"

"And what's your name?" A knight, Sir Bacchus of House Groh, questioned. His eyes roved her body, adorned with the light fabrics that were customary in the Flame.

"Cana Alberona."

"I fight a match today in your honor, Miss Cana," the warrior promised. Lucy and Levy smirked at the exchange. It seemed that the Solstice magic was already beginning to do its work.

As the spectacle unfolded, Ultear looked on with interest. "So Prince Gajeel did come for her," she said to her brothers in a discreet tone of voice.

"Took him long enough," Gray replied, clearly unimpressed. "He probably wants to use her name to fight his own war."

"We will soon see what their intentions are," the empress declared as she approached her children. "For now we will welcome them." For an alliance of fire, light and darkness was a dangerous one to be on the outside of—even for the most powerful realm in the known world.

**Author's Notes: **So, this chapter was basically me trying to find a way to get everyone to the Northern Empire that needed to be there. The next installment will cover the Solstice tournament, concert, and ball and Jellal will _finally_ be introduced. Thanks for reading, everyone. Reviews are greatly appreciated (they honestly make my day!)


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